THE DISPOSABLE VAPES RESPONSIBILITY REPORT: HOW TO USE AND DISPOSE OF ITEMS IN AN ECO-FRIENDLY WAY
INTRODUCTION
Examining key UK litter issues stemming from household items and cigarette smoking – and how to dispose of e-cigarettes responsibly
Each year, over 30 million tonnes of rubbish is collected from UK streets, enough to fill four Wembley Stadiums. In the last year alone, fly-tipping has increased by 16%, according to Defra government data*.
Globally, cigarette rubbish is the most commonly found type of litter. According to the most recent government data, the top UK litter item was small pieces of plastic and polystyrene (215 items per 100 metres), with cigarette stubs (46 per 100m) coming second and food packets (39 per 100m) in third place.
How vape users can help with responsible disposal
When vaping, it’s important to be as environmentally friendly as possible. Every time a cigarette butt is discarded on the ground, over 600 carcinogenic chemicals are released into the atmosphere. Already, by choosing vaping over smoking, on average you’re saving six trees a year from being destroyed, which is approximately 352 trees over a lifetime.
You can reduce your environmental impact even further through your choice of kit and e-liquid.
DISPOSABLE VAPES — MANAGING YOUR WASTE
Disposable vapes have grown in popularity over the past few years. They’re an entry-level product that’s simple to use and has a low one-off cost, which is particularly appealing for smokers looking to transition to vaping.
However, of all the vaping products on offer, they’re the most tricky to dispose of responsibly since they produce both plastic waste and battery waste. They can also leak heavy metals, battery acid and nicotine into the environment when they go to landfill. It’s vital to get rid of batteries in the right way.
All things considered, regular disposable vapes aren’t the most eco-friendly way to vape. However, the industry is taking steps towards making them more sustainable.
ECO-FRIENDLY ALTERNATIVES TO DISPOSABLE VAPES
Prefilled Pod Kits
Much like disposable vapes, prefilled pod kits are a simple option. The pods these systems use don’t require refilling, plus they generate less plastic waste compared to disposables.
When the e-liquid inside is finished you can replace the pod and these pods can be recycled at your local recycling centre. The battery in these kits can be recharged whenever they runs low just like a mobile phone.
Refillable Pod Kits
Not only are refillable pod kits a more cost-effective way of vaping, they’re also greener. In fact, manually refilling a pod yourself is over six time more eco-efficient than using prefilled pods, when compared the annual plastic waste toll.
This type of vaping uses pods that last longer than disposable vapes and, as a result, don’t create so much waste. Although the e-liquid required for refilling pods often comes in plastic bottles, all Vape Club e-liquid bottles are made using recyclable materials like PET.
Refillable Tank Kits
You’ll use e-liquid bottles to top up refillable tank kits too, but aside from these recyclable bottles the only part of these kits you’ll need to replace will be the coils. They’ll be changed around once a week, but are widely recyclable as they are uslly made of metal and cotton.
Rebuildable atomisers
Like refillable tank devices, rebuildable atomisers such as RDAs use recyclable coils and cotton components. The rebuildable atomisers themselves are made of metal and they’re recyclable too if you ever need to dispose of one.
DISPOSING OF PACKAGING
Much of the UK’s waste nowadays comes from packaging, particularly when online shopping.
Quitting smoking in favour of vaping is a decision that’s not only good for your health – it also benefits the environment. However, there is always more you can do to reduce your environmental footprint: choosing your vaping method carefully and committing to recycling as many vaping materials as possible can make a real difference.