Exposing The Dirty Secret About So-Called ‘Disposable’ E-Cigarettes

Vaping has become a popular alternative to smoking cigarettes in recent years despite mounting concerns about its health risks and allegations that the industry has targeted minors.

And those aren’t the only issues facing the controversial e-cigarette market. There’s a major environmental problem with vaping devices described as “disposable.”

A host of hazards

Aside from the internal battery that powers e-cigarettes, scientists and regulators alike say there are some potentially dangerous components in these devices that should prohibit them from simply being tossed in the trash.

Various metals used in the construction of vape pens as well as the traces of nicotine left inside of them has led to a federal prohibition on simply throwing them away. But countless consumers do exactly that when they deplete these supposedly disposable e-cigarettes.

Estimates indicate that about 12 million of these devices are sold every month, which adds up to a big problem for local authorities tasked with finding an environmentally friendly way to get rid of the hazardous waste.

The great meltdown

Without sufficient federal oversight, officials are often left to come up with the best of several bad options. That’s why thousands of e-cigarettes were loaded into steel drums in Monroe County, New York, earlier this year and sent off to an Arkansas incinerator where they were burned.

That’s not an ideal way to dispose of them, but environmental services director Michael Garland said it’s better than allowing them to end up as litter or in landfills where the lithium batteries can lead to dangerous fires.

“These are very insidious devices,” he said. “They’re a fire risk and they’re certainly an environmental contaminant if not managed properly.”

Regulators are trying to address the problem — but more than half of all e-cigs are disposable, so there’s a lot of work to do.

Chris Agee October 20th, 2023

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