260 MILLION DISPOSABLE VAPES ARE BINNED EVERY YEAR - HE BUILDS POWER BANKS FROM THE BATTERIES INSIDE
Every discarded vape contains a rechargeable lithium cell — this design packs 35 of them into a fast-charge USB-C power bank with swappable cells.
by Chris Doel
EnergyOpen-hardware
- difficulty
- ●●●●○
- time
- a weekend-plus
- license
- MIT
- repo
- repo ACTIVE125 stars
●●●●○ · a weekend-plus · MIT · 125 stars · repo ACTIVE
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
- 3D printer + filament — printable parts — files are in the repo
Partner
COMPAREE VERDICT
This is a legitimately useful build if you have access to discarded vapes and the patience to harvest cells safely. The PCB is well-documented, the enclosure is printable, and the BMS design keeps the pack balanced without firmware. The hard part is not the electronics — it is acquiring 35 tested, matched cells and doing it without puncturing one. Disposable vapes use wildly inconsistent cell suppliers, so voltage testing every single one is not optional. If you live somewhere vapes are binned in volume and you are comfortable working with lithium cells, this is a weekend project that converts literal garbage into a 15,000mAh power bank. If you do not already know how to handle lithium safely or have no source of discarded vapes, buy a commercial power bank. The one thing most likely to go wrong: assuming all salvaged cells are equivalent and skipping the individual voltage test — a single weak cell will unbalance the entire pack and the BMS will shut down charging.
IN THE REPO
NOT IN THE REPO
- —PCB Gerber files, STEP 3D print files for the enclosure, and a full parts list are in the repo
- —No firmware — the BMS chip handles cell balancing, the USB-C PD controller is a module
- —Build video shows the full process from collection to assembly, runtime 23 minutes
- —MIT licence — commercial use permitted
- —The cells themselves are salvaged, so availability depends entirely on local e-waste collection
- —No instructions for safely opening the disposable vapes — the video shows it but the repo does not document the process
Can I build this?
Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.
Partner · KickstarterHeyGears G1: 10M+ colors and transparent parts in one print, plus UV printing on flat objects. Figures, parts and labels — no painting.
Videos
I made a power bank from disposable vapes23:00
Full build walkthrough — collection, cell testing, pack assembly, PCB soldering, enclosure fit. The extraction process is shown but not narrated step-by-step.
Gallery
Start here
Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.
- 1.Clone the repo and review the PCB Gerbers and BOM (The README links to the parts list and fabrication files)
- 2.Watch the full build video to understand cell extraction and testing (The video shows voltage testing and spotting damaged cells — this is not optional)
- 3.Order the PCB and components from the BOM(Gerbers are ready for upload to JLCPCB or PCBWay, BMS chip and USB-C module are listed in the BOM)
- 4.Collect and voltage-test salvaged cells(You need 35 cells at roughly matched voltage — mismatched cells will not charge evenly)
Resources
Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.
Partner · KickstarterCORE POWER BANK S: 0.2" thin, 2.8 oz, 5000 mAh with 22.5W fast charging. Semi-solid battery, carbon fiber, IPX7 waterproof.
KNOWN ISSUES
- Skipping individual voltage testing — every cell must be tested before assembly or the BMS will not balance the pack correctly
- Using cells from different vape brands without capacity testing — internal resistance and capacity vary wildly between suppliers
- Puncturing a cell during extraction — lithium vape cells are soft-case and easier to damage than hard-shell 18650s
- Assuming the repo documents safe vape disassembly — it does not, you need to watch the video and understand lithium handling independently
- Not having a spot welder — soldering directly to lithium cells is a fire risk, nickel strip and a spot welder are the correct approach
- Expecting consistent cell availability — disposable vape bans are rolling out in multiple countries, salvage supply may dry up locally
Do I need 35 cells from the same vape brand?
No, but you need 35 cells at similar voltage and capacity. The video shows testing each cell individually — mismatched cells will cause the BMS to shut down charging.
Can I solder the cells directly instead of spot welding?
No. Soldering to lithium cells generates enough heat to damage the internal separator and create a fire risk. Use a spot welder and nickel strip.
What capacity does the finished pack have?
35 cells at ~400mAh each gives roughly 15,000mAh total, but actual capacity depends on the condition of the salvaged cells.
Is this legal where disposable vapes are banned?
The build itself is legal — you are salvaging e-waste. Local vape sale bans do not prohibit reusing the cells, but check your jurisdiction.
Community builds
No community builds yet — be the first, we feature the best ones.
Discussion1
FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM
260 million disposable vapes are binned in the UK every year, each with a rechargeable cell inside. If you built this, where would you source the cells — street collection, vape shop recycling bins, or somewhere else?
Chris Doel
Chris Doel is a UK-based maker focused on e-waste recovery and upcycling. His follow-up project powered an entire house from 500 salvaged vape cells.
Keep building — related projects
Same category, picked by how close they are to this build.
NO CAD FILESA 12 dollars board turns a crashed EV's battery into your home power wall
EnergyOpen-hardware●●●●●expert
FULL CADdiyBMS gives every block of recycled laptop cells its own monitor, for about eight dollars a block
EnergyOpen-hardware●●●●○advanced
NO CAD FILESBuild a talking AI assistant on a breadboard and host its brain yourself
AIOpen-hardware●●●○○moderate
FULL CADSmartKnob — open-source haptic input knob with software-defined detents
Open-hardwareDisplays●●●●○advanced
DISCLAIMER
- Comparee is not the author of the projects featured here. All rights to each project belong to its creator — every page links to the original source, and we never host creators’ files.
- Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
- Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
CompareeTEAM4d ago
Practical notes from our verification: the PCB Gerbers and STEP files are complete and ready to fabricate, the BOM lists every component with supplier links, and the 23-minute build video is the real documentation — the repo README is minimal. The one thing that surprised us: the video shows cell extraction but does not narrate the safety steps, and the repo has no written disassembly guide. If you have never opened a lithium cell device before, watch someone else do it first. The single biggest time sink is not the build — it is voltage-testing 35 salvaged cells one by one, because even a single weak cell will unbalance the pack.