THE creation of single-use vape recycling points could help reduce the amount of the products being thrown away, findings from a non-profit organisation has revealed.
Material Focus, which looks to ensure electricals are recycled properly, found that the number of disposable single-use vapes being thrown away per week has soared from 1.3 million to five million per week – the potential cost of collecting and recycling this amount stands at £200 million, it added.
The research was conducted by YouGov on behalf of Material Focus, with UK adults and 16-17 year olds being quizzed on the purchase of disposable vapes and their methods of disposal of the product.
Material Focus found that UK adults report buying over 360 million single-use vapes per annum. The products contain valuable and critical materials such as lithium and copper that are regularly being binned, despite the organisation saying that they could instead be powering nearly 5,000 electric vehicles.
Furthermore, the number of battery-related waste fires is continuing to rise. Material Focus explained that some of the fires are considered to have been sparked by vapes thrown away instead of being recycled, with research from last year identifying 700 fires were caused by batteries hidden inside electricals such as vapes.
This year’s research found that 73% of UK vapers admitted that they throw away single-use vapes, with 1% revealing they flush them down the toilet, 3% saying they drop them on the ground, 33% of 16-18 year olds throw vapes in their workplace bin, and 33% of the same age range keeping them in a cupboard at home – with nearly three million vapes a month being hoarded in UK cupboards.
Material Focus explained that the main reason 16-18 year olds tend to incorrectly dispose of their vapes is because they don’t want the people they live with to know they vape.
The organisation has called on a number of solutions to solve the problem, including voluntary action from the vape industry on creating a ‘comprehensive’ and ‘widely accessible’ take-back and recycling solution alongside a ‘major’ communications campaign.
More information displayed on vapes explaining how they can be recycled, is also being called for, alongside more recycling points for vapes in stores, parks, public places, and schools and colleges – with all stores and petrol stations which sell vapes required to be taking back used single-use vapes.
Scott Butler, executive director at Material Focus, commented, “Since we last published our research the problem with single-use vapes has gotten further out of control. Single-use vapes are a strong contender for being the most environmentally wasteful, damaging and dangerous consumer product ever made. And still very few producers and retailers comply with environmental regulations and haven’t put recycling drop-off points and systems in place. This all means that too often local authorities are being burdened with the major operational and financial headaches associated with what is now the fastest growing and most dangerous waste stream in the UK, single-use vapes.
“Vapes, like any other electrical with a plug, battery or cable, should never be binned and always be recycled as a minimum. We need rapid growth in the number of accessible and visible vape recycling drop-off points. And we need proper financing of genuine recycling solutions to recover materials and manage fire risks. The solution is clear: immediate, significant and transparent vape industry voluntary action in advance of planned regulatory changes already earmarked by Defra. The UK needs more accessible recycling drop-off points in stores, in parks, in public spaces near offices, bars and pubs, and in schools, colleges and universities. With 75% of vapers thinking that producers and retailers should provide more information that states that vapes can be recycled the word “disposable” should no longer be used in any marketing and promotion.
“Until single-use vape producers, importers and retailers act to genuinely comply with and finance their legal environmental responsibilities then the calls for banning the sale of them will only strengthen.”
