The amount of electronic waste in the world has grown tremendously in recent years and is due in large part to disposable products like e-cigarettes and vape pens. Vape pens first hit the U.S. in 2007 but rose to popularity in 2014 and have since been the most commonly used tobacco product among youths in the U.S. Due to the amount of e-waste they generate, the U.K. government plans to ban disposable vapes, and the waste industry is in full support.
Under the plan that would apply across the United Kingdom, there would be a ban on disposable vapes, new powers to restrict vape flavors, and a requirement to sell them in plain packaging. Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Ireland administrations have also announced similar plans.
According to environment secretary Steve Barclay, “Not only are disposable vapes often targeted, unacceptably at children, they also represent a huge and growing stream of hard-to-recycling waste, with nearly five million thrown away every week.”
The UK’s waste industry leaders have voiced support for the movement, including Veolia’s senior executive vice president, northern Europe Gavin Graveson, who stated, “Disposable vapes are a clear example of when products have been designed with no thought for their environmental impact and should be subject to an extended producer responsibility scheme that incentivizes the right eco-design. Millions of disposable vapes have been littered, causing environmental damage, or thrown in bins where they cause weekly fires in recycling and waste trucks and treatment facilities.”
Though many electronic devices are easily identifiable as e-waste, some are not as easily recognized as e-waste and are not always disposed of responsibly. Because most electronics, including those listed above, are made with lithium-ion batteries, irresponsible disposition can result in pollution and chemical fires.