According to a report by The Guardian on August 28th, British experts have warned that despite e-cigarette manufacturers redesigning their products in response to the UK government's announcement of a ban on disposable e-cigarettes starting in April 2025, this improvement may not do much to address the environmental issue of e-cigarette waste.
According to reports, ELFBAR and Lost Mary, which together account for half of disposable e-cigarette sales in the UK, have now introduced reusable pod-based products. These products come with replaceable pods and a USB port for charging, allowing the main e-cigarette device to be reused. In addition, the "large capacity" e-cigarettes also come with rechargeable batteries and four recyclable pods.
Critics point out that while the new product may reduce battery waste, it could potentially increase waste from pods. They argue that due to the low cost of the product and the lack of recycling services, consumers may still see these products as disposable.
The executive director of the non-profit organization Material Focus, Scott Butler, stated that e-cigarette manufacturers and importers have made adjustments "to remove their products from the definition of disposable e-cigarettes.
The prices of these products are comparable to existing disposable e-cigarettes, and in some cases, even cheaper per puff.
Buying an e-cigarette is just as easy as buying a bag of potato chips or chocolate. Recycling e-cigarettes should be just as easy.
Kate Pike, Chief Executive Officer of the Franchise Trade Standards Association for Tobacco and e-cigarette businesses, expressed concerns that despite some e-cigarette manufacturers making more environmentally-friendly product designs, the prices of pod systems are not much different from disposable products, leading consumers to potentially treat them as disposable items. She also worries that the enforcement of recycling responsibilities remains inadequate and the situation may not improve in the future.
According to a study by Material Focus, it is estimated that before the ban takes effect in 2025, over 250 million disposable e-cigarettes may be discarded because most retailers are not fulfilling their legal obligation to help consumers recycle. The research also found that over 90% of e-cigarette manufacturers and retailers do not appear to provide or fund recycling services for disposable e-cigarettes.
A spokesperson for ELFBAR stated, "We deny that we are attempting to evade any proposed restrictions.
The company is partnering with producers on compliance plans to ensure that e-cigarette recycling costs are met and to support the new Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive requirements.
The spokesperson stated that ELFBAR has provided thousands of e-cigarette recycling bins in the UK through retail partners to support the recycling process.
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