How to Dispose of IQOS | Official Device Collection, Sorting Used Sticks & Why You Must Not Disassemble Them

Good evening,Heated cigarette blogger Genki (@MOQLOG_JP)It is.

With the advent of the Icos Ilma, one of the concerns may be how to dispose of "cigarette butts".

Also, many of you may be wondering how to dispose of your old Icos unit.

Below, we have retained the records of inquiries made to a local municipality and an IQOS Store at the time of original publication. However, for current guidance, please prioritize the official links at the top and in each section. Old records that do not specify the municipality name or response date cannot be used as a nationwide basis for waste sorting.

How to dispose of Icos

The following two points are problems with how to dispose of Icos Ilma.

Until now, when it comes to cigarette butts, I think we have been throwing them away as "burnable trash",If there is metal in it, can it really be put in the "burnable trash" as it is?I'm curious.

The other is on how to dispose of the old unit,Lithium-ion batteries can ignite or explode if subjected to strong pressure.Many of them are not sure how to dispose of them, so they leave them in their rooms.

We hope this article will give you a better understanding of each of these disposal methods.

How to dispose of "cigarette butts" of icos ilma cigarette sticks

The tobacco stick of the Icos Ilma has the following structure.

The special cigarettes for Icos Ilma are in the form of sheets, as shown in the image.Metal plate built into a mass of tobacco leavesThe Icosilmah heats this metal plate to directly heat the tobacco leaf from the inside without the need for a blade.

At first, it was revolutionary and interesting! but then I suddenly thought, "Metal?" Don't you think?

so farheat stick(at sentence-end, falling tone) indicates a confident conclusioncigarette buttschool (e.g. of ikebana)I had disposed of it as combustible garbage, but could I really throw it away as is?

You cannot determine the waste category solely by whether a stick contains metal. The current official IQOS FAQ instructs users to follow their local municipality’s rules and warns against disassembling the sticks.

Record of inquiry to the Customer Center at the time of publication

Our earlier article included a record stating that an inquiry made right after launch advised “disassembling and separating” the stick. We cannot present this as the current procedure.The current official FAQwarns users not to disassemble used sticks due to the risk of injury from the sharp metal piece inside.

I thought that was ridiculous, so I went to an IQOS store to talk to them.

Record of inquiry at an IQOS Store at the time of publication

This is the author’s record of being told at the Ginza store at the time that they could be disposed of as burnable trash. However, a verbal answer at a store does not determine municipal waste-sorting categories across the country.

Next is the record of an inquiry made to a municipality at the time. Because the municipality name and response date cannot be verified, do not use this as proof of current rules in your area.

Record of inquiry to a municipality at the time of publication (region and response date unrecorded)

The above is a record of a verbal response from that time. Examples like aluminum foil or staples cannot be generalized to heated tobacco stick sorting across all municipalities.

Incineration/sorting facilities and waste-sorting standards vary by region. Nor should this old response be interpreted as municipalities condoning sorting violations.

To check current rules, consult your municipality’s waste-sorting chart or sanitation department. Give them the model name and explain that they are “used heated tobacco sticks containing a small internal metal piece” to confirm the proper category.

Let used sticks cool down and follow your municipality’s sorting category. Do not disassemble them

Current.Official IQOS FAQinstructs users to let used sticks cool down and dispose of them according to local municipal rules. While it notes that they are often classified as burnable trash, this is not a uniform nationwide designation.

We have retracted the previous explanation stating that you need to disassemble the stick to remove the metal piece. Keep used sticks out of reach of children and pets, never litter, and dispose of them properly.

The Dedicated Tobacco Stick Collection Programis another option. The official page we verified lists 3 participating stores—Sapporo, Ginza, and Shinsaibashi (page notation as of March 2025, month 3). A dedicated collection bag is required; personal bags cannot be used, and mail-in returns are not accepted. Please check the official page for eligible items and availability before visiting.

How to dispose of the Icos "body

From here on, we discuss the IQOS device body containing a built-in lithium-ion battery. Please treat this separately from used tobacco sticks. Collection conditions for third-party devices or mobile power banks cannot be applied directly to IQOS.

What they all have in common is the use of lithium-ion batteries,Garbage truck ignited because it didn't know how to dispose of the garbage and it was thrown away at random.I'm not sure what the news is about.

One wrong move can cause a catastrophe, so please refer to this page if you do not know how to dispose of your Icos unit.

IQOS device bodies are accepted for collection at 4 official stores

The current IQOS Product Collection Programstates that device bodies are collected at 4 IQOS Stores: Sapporo, Ginza, Nagoya, and Shinsaibashi. We have corrected our old statement that “stores basically do not accept devices” because it no longer matches the current program.

The official program covers all IQOS device bodies, lil HYBRID device bodies, and genuine accessories. Broken devices are also accepted, but liquid cartridges are excluded. Note that this program does not apply to all retail locations such as IQOS Shops or IQOS Corners.

Collection by mail is not accepted. If you cannot bring the device to a participating store, please check your local municipality’s sorting category. Note that the stores collecting device bodies and the stores collecting used sticks are not identical.

Check your local municipality’s rules for how to dispose of the device body in your area

IQOS official guidance also instructs users to follow their local municipality’s classification when disposing of a device body through municipal waste. Category names like burnable, non-burnable, or hazardous waste are not uniform nationwide.

I think each municipality distributes a "garbage calendar" or a paper that outlines "how to separate and dispose of garbage".

This photo is a record of the sorting chart posted in the original article. Because the specific municipality and effective date cannot be identified here, do not treat it as a current nationwide designation.

The designated bags and item-specific disposal instructions shown in the photo reflect the rules of that particular municipality. Please check the latest sorting chart or official counter for your own municipality.

Do not mix an IQOS device into your regular burnable or non-burnable trash bags without knowing the proper collection category. Nor does this article recommend disassembling the device body yourself to remove the battery.

A JBRC recycling box does not automatically mean IQOS devices are accepted

JBRC’s explanation of eligible items for collectionsets specific conditions regarding the battery manufacturer, battery type, and physical condition. Just because a device uses a small rechargeable battery does not mean the entire device body can be dropped into any JBRC recycling box.

We have retracted the statement in our previous article that “a normal IQOS can be thrown into a JBRC box.” Do not drop an IQOS device into a collection box without verifying acceptance conditions, and do not disassemble it in order to do so.

JBRC requires that the battery be made by a JBRC member company, be an eligible battery type, and be free of abnormalities such as damage, water exposure, or swelling. For products with abnormalities, consult the manufacturer or your municipality.

IQOS’s own in-store collection program and JBRC’s battery recycling program are separate systems. Check the instructions of the counter you plan to use and inform them of the device’s condition.

Where to check:IQOS Product Collection Program／/JBRC explanation of eligible and ineligible items

Conclusion The Icos unit should not be thrown away at random!

Discard the Icos unit.When you need to dispose of them, follow the sorting rules of your local government and dispose of them properly.

If you are unsure of the classification or how to put it out, consult your municipality or the manufacturer’s support desk. Never toss it into general trash or a battery collection box while unsure.

If you plan to bring it to an IQOS Store, check the eligible stores and items on the official IQOS website first. Be careful not to confuse the dedicated bag program for used sticks with the collection program for device bodies.

Summary of how to dispose of Icos

For used sticks, let them cool down, check your municipality’s sorting category, and never disassemble them. For the device body, check either collection at an eligible IQOS Store or your municipality’s designated disposal method. Keeping these 2 separate is the fundamental rule.

garbageschool (e.g. of ikebana)social problemEach user is also prone toruleandmannersand make sure to throw it away properly.

If you know anyone around you who says they don't know how to throw it away... please let them know. See you soon!

Frequently asked questions on how to dispose of Icos