New research commissioned by Material Focus has identified that 1.3 million disposable (single-use) vapes are thrown away every week; per annum this is enough to cover 22 football pitches.
The number of vapes thrown away are contributing to the fastest growing waste stream in the UK with over 155,000 tonnes of electrical waste thrown away every year and 527 million electrical items hoarded in UK homes. The research was carried out as part of an investigation with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.
The number of vapes bought is part of a growing phenomenon in the UK with half a billion now bought each year, with almost a fifth of UK adults having bought either a single-use, rechargeable, or rechargeable with a single-use chamber vape.
The research has also identified that single-use vapes are particularly problematic with nearly 14 million single-use vapes bought each month, rising to 167.5 million a year.
Throwing away vapes means that we are throwing away some of the most precious materials on our planet.
The research found that over 50% of disposable vapes are thrown away, compared to 33% on average for all types of vapes. Single-use vapes are one of the most popular types of vapes to be bought alongside rechargeable vapes, Material Focus says.
37% of people who bought vapes in the last year bought a single-use vape, and this increases to 52% for 18-34 year olds.
Vapes contain a range of materials which when thrown away the materials contained inside them are lost forever. Although vapes are covered in plastic, the lithium inside the battery forms a key material hidden inside the vapes.
Each single-use vapes contains on average 0.15g of lithium and with over 1.3 million single-use vapes thrown away every week this accumulates to 10 tonnes of lithium a year, equivalent to the lithium in batteries inside 1,200 electric vehicles.
Precious materials
Lithium batteries that are thrown away can cause fires, these fires have the potential to endanger the public and waste truck operators by causing fires on streets, and waste centres across the UK and costing local councils millions of pounds.
If batteries, or electricals containing batteries, end up inside bins or recycling lorries with other materials then they are crushed in the waste and recycling process.
This increases the chances that they could be punctured and self-combust, setting fire to dry and flammable waste and recycling around them.
Scott Butler, Executive Director, Material Focus said: “Vaping is a growing phenomenon in the UK and over 50% of all single use vapes sold are needlessly being thrown away. This means that every week 1 million vapes are not recycled.
“We need to take urgent action now and ensure that they get recycled. You can find your nearest recycling point by visiting our recycle your electricals website.
“Throwing away vapes means that we are throwing away some of the most precious materials on our planet. A key part of the problem is that vapes are advertised as disposable.
“Producers and retailers need to work together to ensure that they should make people aware that vapes should never be binned and instead be recycled. Recycling needs to be made easier and manufacturers and retailers can become part of the solution by adding collection points in-store.”
Summary of other key findings from the research:
All types of vapes (single use, rechargeable, rechargeable with a single use chamber)
- Nearly half a billion vapes of all types are bought each year, or 38,230,063 per month.
- 33% of all vapes get thrown away on average – 3 million vapes per week thrown away, or 11,950,187 vapes thrown away per month or 143,402,244 thrown away per year.
- 23 tonnes of lithium thrown away the equivalent to 2,884 batteries in an electric vehicle
- About a quarter (23%) recycle their vapes in store when they buy new ones
- About a fifth (20%) recycling their vapes at a local authority recycling centre
- About a tenth (11%) give their vapes away
- About one in twenty (7%) do something else with their vapes.
Single use vapes
- 14 million single-use vapes bought each month
- Over 50% of single-use vapes get thrown away
- 1.3 million single-use vapes thrown away every week or 5.4 million per month
- 10 tonnes of lithium a year, equivalent to the batteries inside 1,200 electric vehicles.
Rechargeable vapes
- 14,158,502 rechargeable vapes bought per month
- 2,607,314 rechargeable vapes thrown away per month
- 6 tonnes of lithium thrown away the equivalent to 782 batteries in an electric vehicle
Rechargeable vapes with single use chamber
- 10,113,216 rechargeable vapes with single use chamber bought per month
- 3,970,227 rechargeable vapes with single use chamber thrown away per month
- 7 tonnes of lithium thrown away the equivalent to 893 batteries in an electric vehicle
