Call for a ban on disposable e-cigarettes

Vapes, i.e. disposable e-cigarettes, are all the rage. With or without nicotine. With various flavors such as apple, cherry and licorice, they have been very popular with young people in recent years. They cannot be refilled and are powered by batteries that cannot be removed. Precisely because they are considered harmless, their health risks are often underestimated. Most people are not even aware of the environmental problems caused by vapes. To mark Battery Day on February 18, the Austrian Association of Waste Management Companies (VOEB) is now calling for a ban on disposable e-cigarettes.

"Disposable e-cigarettes are a controversial disposable product: they are expensive to manufacture, have a short lifespan and waste scarce raw materials such as rare earths. Educational work about the environmental and health risks for consumers is absolutely necessary and a sales ban is the only consequence."

VOEB President Gabriele Jüly

Danger to health

Vaping appeals to a very young target group, some of whom have never smoked before. It increases the risk of addiction to smoking, can lead to respiratory problems and smoker's cough according to Quarks and the long-term effects have not yet been researched. The WHO has also warned of the dangers and called on governments to better regulate e-cigarettes in order to protect children, young people and other target groups from harm.

Danger to the environment

Every e-cigarette contains rare earths and a chip, as well as non-rechargeable lithium-ion batteries and a device that vaporizes nicotine-containing liquid. Since only around half of all vapes are disposed of correctly, namely as ELECTRIC WASTE and not as residual waste, important resources are lost during disposal. According to a study by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, two disposable vapes end up in the trash every second in the UK. If you calculate this over the course of a year, as much lithium is wasted as could be used in 1,200 batteries for electric cars.

According to Statista Germany, sales of e-cigarettes amounted to 300 million euros in 2022. It is not known how high the proportion of disposable e-cigarettes was. Both types contain the same type of battery. The mining of lithium itself is problematic and worth an article of its own. According to the Rheinische Post,six disposable e-cigarettes contain the battery power of an iPhone - an incredible waste of resources.

Fire hazard from vapes

According to the VOEB in its press release, many consumers are unaware that the lithium-ion batteries installed in them are high-risk "fire devils". If damaged, they can develop enormous heat of over 1,000 degrees Celsius and cause life-threatening injuries to employees of waste management companies as well as considerable damage to the facilities. "This is a real problem for the circular economy, jeopardizes safety and poses a financial risk for recycling companies," says VOEB President Gabriele Jüly.

Correct disposal

Disposables" are electronic waste and as such must be disposed of at designated collection points, recycling centers or retailers.