As more Australians started vaping over the past few years, there was little consideration to the impact that this new habit was having on our planet. With the majority of the 1.2 million Australians that regularly vape using disposable units, the environment had a new threat.
On May 2nd, 2023, the Federal Health Minister, Mark Butler, addressed the National Press Club about upcoming changes to tobacco related policies. One of the most notable changes was the proposed ban on the sales of disposable vapes. What does vaping have to do with the environment, you may ask? As the Minister noted, single-use, disposable vapes “clog landfill and are toxic to the environment”.
E-cigarettes are not new. Initially intended to assist with smoking cessation, Australians have needed a prescription to access nicotine vaping devices and products since October 2021. However, with little regulatory oversight, an influx of devices made their way into the country. Most alarmingly was that the sales channels had moved from tobacconists and convenience stores to the playground and social media platforms.
With alluring colours, flavours and names and set to mimic everyday items, such as highlighters and USB sticks, Australians young and old had become hooked. Unfortunately, the concern wasn’t just about having a new generation of Australians addicted to nicotine, there was another side effect no one had considered, whose impact to the environment would soon be felt.
Without a UN Class or item code, non-nicotine vaping devices were being imported as a consumable item, as battery-operated confectionary. A lack of importation control enabled a strong black market to be created. When items were intercepted or seized and examined, it was identified that more than 83 per cent of these devices contained nicotine, even though the labels suggested they did not.
Vaporising our planet
So, what’s the environmental concern? Vapes are battery-powered devices. They are filled with liquid, or ‘juice’, which regularly contain nicotine, in addition to artificial flavourings and various chemicals, which are all heated. The heating element known as a ‘coil’, which consists of wire and cotton and sits inside the tank, turns the juice into a vapour that is then inhaled into the user’s lungs. Finally, there’s the casing, which is either made from plastic, aluminium, or a composite.
Disposable vapes, or single-use vapes, are designed to be thrown away after the juice is depleted. The average disposable vape is claimed by retailers to last anywhere from 200 to 400 puffs. It is often noted that 400 puffs from a vape is the equivalent of 20 cigarettes (or one packet). Online vaping store, Puff Bar suggests “throwing away” vapes after use.
Other vapes have integrated batteries that are not meant to be replaced or removed, having a finite number of recharges after which the device needs to be thrown away. Removable batteries are found in some vaping devices, which can be recharged several times. Rechargeable batteries are typically found in more advanced devices, including the legal nicotine-based devices.
Environmental charity, No More Butts, welcomed the news from the Federal Government.
“After raising this issue in presentations, consultations and engagements with departments and politicians over the past 18 months, we are encouraged by the action taken by the government,” said No More Butts Executive Director, Shannon Mead. “While this won’t solve the problem entirely, it will restrict the amount of disposable vapes making their way into landfill.”
“Our volunteers are collecting e-cigarettes in increasing numbers,” said Pip Kiernan, Chair of Clean Up Australia. “We need to set clear standards on environmentally responsible e-cigarette waste disposal and hold the industry accountable for adhering to them.”
Sea Shepherd Australia’s National Marine Debris Campaigner, Niels Glahn Bertelsen, commended the federal government’s move to ban imports of non-prescription vaping products and single-use disposable vapes, noting that, “this legislative change will result in positive environmental outcomes”.
How big is the issue?
From the Roy Morgan Research nationwide survey from July 2021-June 2022, an estimated 1,159,000 adults were current vapers (had vaped at least once in the last month). In 2022, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that 21.7 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds had used an e-cigarette, or vaping device.
Based on estimated consumption and population statistics, it would be conservative to say that 500 tonnes of e-waste are being created annually from disposable vapes in Australia. Variables such as weight, the frequency of vaping and volumetric contents of a vape all have a bearing on estimates. It is possible that the amount of e-waste could be double.
Where there’s smoke
The ACCC noted that it is concerned about the increasing number of reported incidents involving batteries, some causing house fires resulting in serious injuries and property damage. The chemistry of these vaping batteries makes them more volatile than traditional batteries. The most dangerous outcome associated with batteries is the potential to rapidly overheat and cause fires that cannot be easily extinguished, leading to property damage, injury and/or fatality.
There have been reports of human injuries because of exploding vapes, with the Burns Registry of Australia and New Zealand (BRANZ) recording 21 admissions for burns involved, or related to, batteries over a four-year period, with the most common products involved being e-cigarettes and mobile phones.
Damage to the casing of a vaping device, caused by puncturing, compressing/compacting, or dropping, may initiate internal short-circuits, causing overheating or fire. With the increase in vaping and the emergence of technologies such as smart bins, the risk is real in public settings.
So, what should you do with a vape?
It is assumed that users already know that they shouldn’t litter their vape (or anything), but they may not know that they shouldn’t throw their vape into the bin. But where do they put it? Unfortunately, no existing e-waste program, including the stewardship program, BCycle, caters for vaping devices or their batteries. BCycle are funded by contributions from brands and legitimate importers of batteries. Due to the fragmented and unregulated importation model of vaping devices, vapes are not budgeted for and therefore their bins should not be used to drop off vapes. Mobile Muster do not accept vapes. The Return Unwanted Medicines scheme is only applicable for nicotine vaping devices and is only available at selected pharmacies. In Victoria, it is illegal to landfill e-waste (such as a vaping device). This is why a national program needs to be implemented.
Although a select few councils across Australia advertise that they accept vaping devices in their e-waste drop-off centres, the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme (NTCRS) does not accept vapes. The Commonwealth Department (DCCEEW) noted that, because of the lack of regulation on importations, there was limited data to be able to act on a national level to fund the disposal of the products.
International updates
Scotland is considering banning single-use vapes and The New York City State Senate re-introduced a Bill in the Senate Health Committee that proposes to ban single-use vapes. France has also expressed their position to ban single-use vapes.
On the recycling front, New Zealand has a scheme set up with TerraCycle and a vape brand to recycle its vapes. In Canada, TerraCycle has a program for any brand of cannabis packaging and for specifically branded vape products.
What happens next?
It remains to be seen if a ban on disposable vapes will have immediate or measurable impact. Therefore, it is important that a national disposal scheme is implemented to ensure that the e-waste and other chemicals are managed effectively, so as not to harm Australia’s environment.
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