The U.K. government is taking a stand against the wasteful vaping industry. Research conducted by Opinium and commissioned by Material Focus has revealed that vapes are one of the most environmentally wasteful consumer products of all time.
What’s happening?
Starting in June 2025, the U.K. will make it illegal to sell single-use vapes. While these single-use vapes still hold 600 puffs per product, the number of vapes consumed in the U.K. is still astronomical. More than 1 million vapes are thrown away every day, 13 every second.
Instead, the new style of vape must be “big puff,” which allows for 6,000 puffs per product. However, the research by Material Focus showed that 3 million of the big puff vapes are already bought every week and are still being thrown away or recycled improperly.
“Without quick and extensive action, the threat of a vapocalypse remains and new big puff vape models are already contributing to an environmental nightmare,” said Scott Butler, the executive director of Material Focus.
Why is vape recycling important?
The damage is so much more than millions of plastic items ending up in our landfills. Vapes contain lithium-ion batteries that can endanger wildlife and cause trash fires in the waste facilities and recycling centers. Fires are up 71% since 2022 and increasing at an alarming rate.
The vapes also contain other valuable materials, including copper. The amount of potential fuel thrown away in these vapes is enough to power 10,127 electric vehicles.
What’s being done about vape recycling?
Educating the public about vape recycling will require a large campaign and a coordinated effort between the government and vaping companies. Butler said, “We need rapid growth in the number of accessible and visible vape recycling drop-off points. And we need proper retailer and producer financing of genuine recycling solutions to recover materials and manage fire risks.”
People who don’t have an issue using single-use vapes prefer them for the convenience. In order to reach that audience, drop-off points need to be clearly labeled, in bold colors, and in spaces where people normally smoke: parks, bars, music venues, malls, and universities.
If you choose to vape, consider switching to the “big puff” vapes to make the product last longer and recycle every part of the vape properly once you are finished.
Come June 2025, expect to only see vapes that are rechargeable or that have a refillable cartridge in the U.K. When purchasing, be mindful of greenwashing and know what product you’re buying before clicking “add to cart.”
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This article was originally published by a www.thecooldown.com . Read the Original article here. .