Some vape users are concerned that vapes – particularly single-use, disposable vapes – are not very environmentally friendly.
One study found that more than 50% of vapes are thrown directly in the bin after use, and up to 1.3 million disposable vapes are discarded each week.
Can You Throw Disposable Vapes in the Bin?
Due to their components, you cannot dispose of single-use vapes as part of your household recycling. Yet it is possible to safely dispose of and recycle disposable vape pens. In this post, we’ll tell you how.
Do you run a vape shop or sell vapes online? If so, we can help you get the specialist vape insurance you need at a price you can afford. For more information, call us on 0208 290 9080 or email us at ecig@anthonyjones.com.
Are Disposable Vape Pens Bad For The Environment?
Some campaigners have suggested that disposable vape pens are so bad for the environment that they should be banned. But is this the case? Not necessarily.
If you simply chuck a disposable vape in the bin once you’re done with it, then yes, it’s not very good for the environment. Vapes are usually made from plastic, and there are major concerns about the global rise in plastic pollution.
Also, disposable vapes contain certain valuable materials including lithium batteries and copper. If vapes are simply discarded without a second thought, then these resources will be squandered.
However, if disposable vape pens are properly disposed of, they can be recycled. This means that there’ll be less plastic waste, and the valuable copper and lithium can be re-used in other electrical products.
How Should You Dispose of and Recycle Disposable Vape Pens?
If you’re a vaper, don’t just throw your vape in the bin when you’re done with it. You should be disposing of your vape pen through dedicated recycling services for batteries and electricals.
To do this, you can:
- Take your vape to your nearest household recycling centre. They’ll treat your disposable vape as Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and will be able to recycle it accordingly. You can find recycling services in your local area on the Government’s site.
- Take your vape to a dedicated electrical recycling centre. Find your nearest electrical recycling service here.
- Head to your nearest vape store. Many have instore recycling bins, so they can recycle used vapes in bulk.
- Send your used vape back to the manufacturer. Some vape manufacturers offer a dedicated recycling service by post.
Do You Run a Vape Shop? Here’s How You Can Encourage People to Recycle Their Vapes
If you run a vape shop – either on the high-street or online – then you can support your customers to properly dispose of their used vapes:
- If you run a high street vape shop, place a dedicated vape recycling bin instore. Once this bin is full, you can take the used vapes to your nearest electrical recycling service.
- If you run an online vape shop, let customers post their used vapes to you, so you can then dispose of them properly.
Why do this? Well, in offering this service, you’ll make it much easier for your customers to dispose of their vapes in a sensible and sustainable manner. Some vape users have major concerns about the environmental impact of vaping, to the extent that they’ve considered giving up. If you can help them address these concerns, you may avoid losing some customers.
Also, you can quite easily turn this service into an opportunity. Why not offer your customers a discount for every five or 10 disposable vapes they send to you for recycling? This may encourage some of your customers to become repeat customers.
If you sell vapes, either online or offline, we can help you get the specialist vape insurance you need at a price you can afford. For more information, call us on 0208 290 9080 or email ecig@anthonyjones.com.
