Litter and Pollution

Disposable vapes contain lithium-ion batteries which are a significant threat to the environment. The metal exterior of a battery takes around 100 years to break down, and this is only the beginning of this environmentally destructive process. Once the metal casing deteriorates, toxic heavy metals such as cobalt, nickel, and manganese are released from the battery cell into their surroundings. This results in toxic heavy metals leaching into the soil, contaminating the water supply, and destroying ecosystems.

When disposed of improperly, these batteries can cause fires and explosions in waste management facilities, posing a significant threat to waste management programs. In California, 40% of fires at waste facilities between 2016-2018 were caused by lithium-ion batteries. Additionally, London's Heathrow Airport reported three fires within the past six months in 2023, each resulting from discarded lithium-ion batteries in disposable vapes.

VAPES ARE TRASH.

Wasted Resources

The lithium in these batteries is a precious resource that should be conserved, reused, and recycled. According to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, at least five disposable e-cigarettes are being thrown away every second in the United States, amounting to 150 million devices per year - which together contain enough lithium for 6,000 teslas.

Disposable vapes also contain a substantial amount of cotton. In order to produce a single kilogram of cotton, over 10,000 liters of water must be used. The production of global cotton requires over 250 billion tons of water annually. Cotton contaminated with E-Liquids is a detrimental environmental hazard, however efforts are being made to identify ways to preserve it.

Disposable e-cigarettes are made of different grades and types of recyclable plastic, making it difficult to identify their specific environmental impact. However, we know that plastics left in landfills will never biodegrade. They will only break down into microplastics, leading to extensive pollution issues.