As one 2023 study found, the lithium ion batteries used in most “single-use” vapes could be recharged up to 700 times. If you could somehow harvest all that storage power, it would have considerable value — but how could it be done? Doel recently embarked on a months-long DIY project to repurpose 500 junk vapes found in the street to build a battery bank capable of powering his entire house. There was just one main problem: there’s no quick and easy way to tell which vape batteries are still good to use. “This is just amazing, isn’t it,” Doel said after he flipped the switch, delivering power to his workshop from the battery pack.