In recent years, the e-cigarette market has exploded. Although originally promoted as a tool to reduce tobacco consumption, these devices have attracted many people, especially youth and adolescents, who would not otherwise have taken up smoking.
This is due, above all, to the perception that they are less harmful. In addition, certain false advantages are attributed to them, such as the possibility of using them in closed places or the fallacy that their smoke “does not bother.”
Apart from the problems they present for health, the rise of electronic cigarettes introduces new challenges in terms of environmental management with regard to the management of their waste.
Disposable pod-type vapes (informally vapes or vapers) are one of the preferred options among younger users and those who combine it with tobacco. They are small, lightweight, affordable, easy to use and require no maintenance. In addition, they offer a wide range of flavors that invite you to try the different varieties.
As a consequence, its consumption is experiencing the greatest growth. Although the figures do not clearly distinguish between the models, it is estimated that in Spain between half and one million are sold per week. In the United Kingdom, for its part, up to 5 million are consumed a week.
This type of disposable electronic cigarette is a clear counterexample to the concepts of ecodesign and circular economy. It is made up of different materials: various plastics for the structure, an LED, an electrical resistance, a battery and a cartridge with vaping liquid composed of flavorings, vegetable glycerin, propylene glycol, nicotine and additives. Not counting the silicone cap for the mouthpiece, the cardboard box and the plastic blister.
Perhaps because the companies that manufacture and sell them do not want their customers to see what they are putting in their mouths, these devices are difficult to disassemble to separate their components. As a result, most users face uncertainty about where and how to store them at the end of their useful life.
Due to their nature, disposable vapes should be considered electronic waste and disposed of at a clean point. Unfortunately, practically no one does this. Instead, they end up in the trash and the gray bin, or in the yellow bin or in the battery bin, where they cannot be managed. That is, its most common destination is landfill or incineration.
Furthermore, unfortunately, it is increasingly common to find large quantities on the ground in parks, party areas, the beach or concert and festival halls. They therefore pose a considerable environmental problem due to the lack of a specific waste management system for them and the lack of commitment on the part of their users.
Lately we hear a lot about the updating of legislation on tobacco and vaping in various countries. For example, to stop the increase in young people taking up vaping, Belgium will ban disposable devices from 2025 and it seems that France and the United Kingdom are going down the same path. In Spain, similar action is also being considered, according to the recently announced draft of the Comprehensive Tobacco Prevention and Control Plan.
Another alternative would be to simultaneously regulate the sale of these devices and the management of their waste, in line with the ideas proposed in the Spanish Waste Law. That is, it could be established that disposable vapes could only be sold in authorized establishments and that they had a system for collecting the discarded items.
A “return deposit” (for example, 3 euros) could be added to the price of the device (for example, 7 euros) that the user would recover when returning it to the point of sale, discouraging its consumption and thus encouraging selective collection of waste for management.
In any case, greater awareness of the problem of electronic cigarettes is essential, to ensure that they are used as a tool to quit smoking and not to start smoking, and to avoid the environmental and health problems derived from their use.
This article was originally published on The Conversation.