Environmental Issues of Disposable E-cigarettes Discussed in EU Parliament

On January 4th, 2023, a French parliamentarian raised a concern at the European Parliament, highlighting the serious environmental problems caused by the popularity of disposable products. The question in full translation is as follows:

In recent years, a new type of disposable e-cigarette has been introduced to the market throughout Europe. This disposable product, which first appeared on the French market in 2020, has become a serious source of pollution and an environmental disaster.

These single-use electronic cigarettes contain metal components, lithium batteries, and integrated circuits. Various metals, including metal oxides, cobalt, and copper, can be found in these circuits. All of these substances must be carefully recycled as they are highly polluting. Unfortunately, in most cases, these e-cigarettes are not disposed of in a manner that allows for proper recycling.

Furthermore, according to a survey conducted by Alliance contre le tabac (a French anti-tobacco organization), 13% of young people between the ages of 13 and 16 have already tried electronic cigarettes. By targeting young people who prefer sweet flavors, tobacco companies are directing their marketing efforts towards underage youth.

Does the committee have knowledge of this situation, and if so, what plans do they have to address the issue and its harmful impact on the environment?

Does the committee intend to take measures to address the harm caused by these e-cigarettes to public health, especially the harm to the health of young people in Europe?

Full text screenshot of parliamentary issue | Source: European Parliament

In response to this matter, on the regular parliamentary meeting on January 6th, EU Commissioner for Environment Virginijus Sinkevičius answered the question on behalf of the EU. The full translated response is as follows:

The Disposable Electronic Cigarette (DEC) falls under the scope of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive and includes collection and recycling obligations. The directive emphasizes the broad producer responsibility, requiring DEC producers to support the collection and proper treatment of leftover DEC. Collection points for the disposal of electronic waste should be provided, and users can return used DEC at sales points.

Proposed regulations stipulate that from mid-2025, portable batteries in products including those made by DEC must be easily removable and replaceable by end-users. This will facilitate proper disposal and increase the collection of discarded batteries, thereby ensuring their recycling.

If DEC does not contain tobacco but rather nicotine-free e-liquid, it would not fall within the scope of the single-use plastics directive, as is typically the case. The directive is set to be reviewed in 2027, including a review of the list of affected products.

The committee acknowledges DEC's appeal to young people. The conclusions of the Health, Environment, and New Risks Science Committee in its opinion on e-cigarettes support this, as the committee reported moderate evidence indicating that e-cigarettes are a gateway to smoking for young people.

In this context, the European Commission is conducting a comprehensive assessment of the legislative framework for tobacco control to understand the EU's ability to respond to recent market developments and achieve its public health objectives. Any steps resulting from this assessment process will be guided by better regulation principles.

On January 5th, 2FIRSTS and IEVA held their annual strategic development conference for 2023, which included discussions on the environmental impact of disposable e-cigarettes. IEVA Chairman, Dustin Dahlmann, stated that a European recycling company dismantled three disposable e-cigarettes and found that 82% of their components were recyclable. 2FIRSTS COO, Guo Xiaoyu, announced that a leading domestic e-cigarette battery supplier has expressed interest in the project and has begun establishing recycling facilities in Europe. The company is also increasing R&D investment to advance the technology for dismantling e-cigarette batteries. The conference concluded with a collaboration agreement between 2FIRSTS and IEVA on disposable e-cigarette battery recycling efforts.

Ieva and 2FIRSTS hold online conference | Image source: 2FIRSTS

Zhao Tong, CEO of 2FIRSTS, believes that commercializing a disposable e-cigarette battery recycling program requires a "three-step" strategy. First, regulatory agencies need to establish policies that require e-cigarette manufacturers to recycle their waste products. Second, recycling technology needs to be improved, meaning the proportion of irrecoverable waste in discarded e-cigarettes is low or zero, something that Chinese manufacturers have already done well at, with their technology preparations already in place. Third, recycling must be a self-sustaining commercial activity rather than a public welfare project to ensure the sustainability of participating recycling enterprises.

The environmental issue surrounding disposable e-cigarettes has been officially brought to the forefront, and industry players as well as regulatory authorities can no longer ignore the problem. Additionally, questions from European Parliament members have raised concerns about disposable e-cigarette products enticing adolescents, and simplistic packaging may become a major trend in the development of disposable e-cigarettes in the future.

2FIRSTS will continue to follow this issue and provide the latest updates to readers both domestically and internationally. Stay tuned for further developments.

Further Reading:

Belgium may ban single-use e-cigarettes in six months.

Estonia may ban disposable e-cigarettes.

2FIRSTS and IEVA held their annual development strategy meeting where they agreed to enter into a deep collaboration moving forward.