In the United Kingdom, around two disposable vapes are discarded every second. Approximately 10 tonnes of lithium are transferred to landfills or waste incinerators year due to the disposal of disposable vapes, enough to produce batteries for 1,200 electric vehicles.
A surge in disposable vape sales has resulted in millions ending discarded in landfills, even though they contain valuable lithium, a metal upon which the high-tech economy relies.
The user-friendly and extremely addictive pen-sized devices are the fastest-growing alternative to smoking in the United Kingdom, surpassing other forms of refillable and reusable vapes for the first time this year.
According to our data, consumers in the United Kingdom dispose of approximately two disposable vapes per second.
The battery in the average disposable e-cigarette contains less than 0.1 grams of lithium metal. However, it adds up.
Approximately 10 tonnes of lithium are transferred to landfills or waste incinerators year due to the disposal of disposable vapes, enough to produce batteries for 1,200 electric vehicles.
Mark Miodownik, a professor of materials and society at University College London, stated, “Throwing these things away amid a climate emergency is quite insane.
“It’s in your laptop, your mobile phone, and your electric vehicle. We are utterly reliant on this material to transition away from fossil fuels and handle climate challenges.”
18 percent of 4,000 persons surveyed by Opinium for Material Focus, a non-profit recycling organization, had purchased a vaporizer in the preceding year. 7 percent of respondents stated they had purchased a throwaway gadget. This means that approximately 168 million disposable vapes are purchased annually in the United Kingdom.
When their vapes are empty, somewhat more than half of the users dispose of them in the trash, as opposed to recycling them or returning them to the retailer.
Scott Butler, executive director of Material Focus, stated, “From producers to consumers, we must be more conscientious in our decisions, the products we manufacture, and the things we purchase.”
“It must be made much easier for a large number of people to do the right thing since the vast majority of people want to do the right thing.”
However, our analysis indicates that the manufacturers of disposable e-cigarettes may not even be adhering to their minimal recycling duties.
Elf Bar and Geek Bar are the two leading disposable vape brands in the country.
The products are classified as electrical and electronic waste under British legislation (WEEE). Under the legislation, producers or importers of WEEE-classified products have various responsibilities to ensure their recycling, including registering themselves.
Our inquiry revealed no evidence that the maker or importer of Geek Bar or Elf Bar was registered with the WEEE. Nobody responded to our request for a remark.
The Environment Agency, which is in charge of enforcing the WEEE standards, was informed of our investigation’s findings.
In response, it stated: “Businesses selling electrical or electronic equipment in the United Kingdom must comply with WEEE standards. Any business found to violate these restrictions will be subject to the appropriate enforcement action.
An increasing mound of non-recyclable electrical and electronic garbage includes disposable vaping devices. According to previous studies by Material Focus, there are around 500 million electrical waste products in UK households. It was discovered that the number of valuable metals such as copper, gold, and lithium that are being hoarded or dumped might be worth £370 million per year to the British economy.
Later this year, Defra will examine how to increase the collection and recycling of what it calls “small mixed trash, electric and electronic equipment.”
