Disposable vapes proving to be not very disposable

Iet is a well-known fact that cigarettes are one of the most littered items in the world. From rivers and ponds to woods and beaches, there is always the nub of a smoked cigarette lounging around somewhere. However, the growing craze for those that can’t live without nicotine, the disposable vape, now means that where the smoked cigarette was, now lays a coloured plastic stick with a lithium battery.

Surely a recyclable vape is preferable to a cigarette that is destined for landfill? Well, only if people are bothering to dispose of them properly. More than half of vapes consumed in this country are not recycled but thrown straight in the bin. With around 1.3 million being used each week, that is a lot of vapes in the wrong bin. The lithium batteries in these wrongly disposed vapes would equate to 10 tonnes a year, enough to make the batteries for 1,200 electric cars.

With around 1.3 million being used each week, that is a lot of vapes in the wrong bin.

Part of the issue is that these ‘disposable’ vapes are actually quite hard to dispose of. The lithium batteries are considerably flammable, and thus need to be disposed of in a safe manner. Larger shops that sell vapes are supposed to collect used vapes, whether or not they were purchased in that shop, so they can be disposed of safely. Many of these vape shops either make such a programme hard to access or don’t carry out their responsibilities at all. Smaller corner shops, that only sell a small selection, are not legally required to operate the same service.

Even if the plastic, copper, and lithium within these vapes can be recycled, the liquid nicotine that is contained within them is incredibly poisonous. When not disposed of safely and in the correct manner, this nicotine can kill the local flora and contaminate the food and water sources of humans and wildlife alike. Even during use, this nicotine contaminates the air around it to a greater extent than tobacco cigarettes since the liquid contains more possible droplets.

Part of the issue is that these ‘disposable’ vapes are actually quite hard to dispose of.

So, is it a case of people being lazy or the process being too difficult? While there will always be a small portion of those people that know they are littering, of the 51% that throw disposable vapes into the conventional rubbish bins, 49% said they did not have a clue how to properly dispose of the vape. Many of the companies that produce these vapes specialise in not providing information. Doctors have said that vape companies deliberately target children in their advertising, through the use of different colours and flavours, despite there being no research on the long-term health impacts. It is unsurprising that such companies are also unwilling to make sure their products are disposed of properly.

The UK Vape Industry Association has suggested that clearer regulations that are brought up to date would help solve the issue. The regulations on their disposal and the role that producers need to play were last updated in early 2014. The industry has since experienced tremendous growth. One of the leading vape manufacturers, ELFBAR, has said it will try and implement climate positive changes to their business in the next few years. This includes designing products that have a “longer shelf life” and sending recycling boxes to all their retailers. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have said changes to the regulations will happen in “due course.” Some campaigners have begun to push for single use vapes to be banned in their entirety.

The industry has embraced predatory marketing tactics focusing on children and young people rather than as a way for smokers to give up cigarettes.

The boom in popularity of vapes, including disposable vapes, has been partly responsible for the fall in people smoking traditional cigarettes. However, this new “technology” should be viewed with caution. There has been no research to suggest that consuming them is risk free and they certainly cause nicotine addictions. The industry has embraced predatory marketing tactics focusing on children and young people rather than as a way for smokers to give up cigarettes.

The environmental impact of their use and poor disposal will most likely get worse, since the government legislation to stop such practices is very slow in being produced. In the meantime, both retailers should create the most accessible disposal programs possible, and consumers should take basic steps to recycle them rather than throwing them in the bin.