Wardell Armstrong's environmental scientist, Katie Heath, has researched potential solutions for disposable electronic cigarette waste.
Approximately 7.1% of the United Kingdom's population uses electronic cigarettes, with a staggering 5 billion units purchased annually, of which 3 million are discarded each week. Electronic cigarettes typically consist of a lithium-ion battery, a tank, and a coil for vaporizing e-liquid, and are classified as Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) under UK law when disposed of.
Currently, disposable e-cigarettes hold 50% of the e-cigarette market. The term "disposable" may suggest that these devices are as easy to discard as they are to purchase, but all small Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) devices must be separately recycled, which is most efficiently done by taking them to a local recycling center.
Unfortunately, this information has not kept up with the increasing popularity of electronic cigarettes, resulting in these devices being discarded with regular household waste destined for landfill or incineration. This issue also extends to small WEEE, which accounts for 8% of electrical waste ending up in household bins.
This is a serious issue that needs to be taken more seriously, especially considering that the growth rate of WEEE waste is three times that of the average growth rate of urban garbage. If the government hopes to achieve its goal of doubling resource productivity and eliminating avoidable waste in England by 2050, promoting a "disposable" culture among the general public through the use of "disposable" small electronic devices is irresponsible.
Small WEEE devices, including those containing batteries, contain various materials, some of which are hazardous.
These devices often contain rare and expensive resources, such as precious metals that can be recycled if properly processed. Poor management of these valuable materials can lead to the release of pollutants like lead, mercury, and cadmium into the environment, as well as the loss of precious resources to landfills and incineration.
It is estimated that the UK economy loses £370 million annually as a result of incorrect disposal of materials containing precious resources such as gold, copper, aluminium, and steel.
Improperly disposing of e-cigarettes (and other battery-containing devices) in household garbage can pose a serious fire hazard to waste management trucks and landfills. It is estimated that 48% of waste fires in the UK are caused by mishandled lithium-ion batteries, resulting in approximately 600 waste truck and site fires annually.
Despite batteries being required to be removed and disposed of separately, many devices, including disposable e-cigarettes, seal the batteries within the unit, making them difficult to remove.
On average, every European household hoards around 5 kilograms of discarded small electronic devices, resulting in a significant amount of valuable resources being effectively stagnant outside the circular economy. The recent surge in popularity of e-cigarettes provides a vital opportunity to explore methods of improving the recycling rates of small WEEE. To do so, manufacturers must ensure that devices are easily recyclable and consumers must have access to convenient and proper recycling channels.
A potential method to achieve this goal is to provide consistent roadside collections for small-scale Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and batteries, and to increase public awareness through strong campaigns.
Some city councils have recognized the success of providing roadside waste collection, but recently there have been calls for more councils to implement this service. Studies have shown that waste recycling can save up to 64% of WEEE, equivalent to approximately 99,000 tons.
In the future, it may be possible to further incentivize recycling by integrating valuable small waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) into deposit return schemes, such as the one proposed for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, which has already been implemented in Scotland.
As our consumption of electronic devices increases, the need for reliable channels for WEEE recycling will also increase, especially as demand for the limited resources used in their production rises. If we are serious about the circular economy, we must do more to empower the public to recycle their electronic products.
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