Sky News investigation reveals that the surge in sales of disposable e-cigarettes is leading to batteries being buried despite containing valuable lithium, a metal relied upon by much of the high-tech economy.
A highly addictive pen-sized disposable e-cigarette device comes in multiple colors and flavors and has become the fastest-growing smoking alternative in the UK, surpassing for the first time other types of refillable and reusable e-cigarettes.
Research shows that users in the UK are throwing away two disposable e-cigarettes every second. On average, each disposable e-cigarette contains slightly more than one-tenth of a gram of lithium metal in its battery, which adds up to a huge amount.
Every year, the number of disposable e-cigarettes discarded is equivalent to approximately 10 tons of lithium being sent to landfills or waste incinerators, and the metal contained in them could be used to manufacture batteries for 1200 electric cars.
This is truly insane," said Mark Miodownik, Professor of Materials and Society at University College London. "We cannot simply discard these materials, especially in a time of climate emergency. They are in our laptops, our phones, and even in electric cars. These are materials that we absolutely rely on to move away from fossil fuels and address climate change.
A market research conducted by nonprofit recycling organization Opinium for Material Focus has found that 18% of the 4,000 individuals surveyed had purchased an e-cigarette in the previous year. Among this group, 7% had bought disposable devices. This suggests that the UK produces about 168 million disposable e-cigarettes annually. Just over half of users reported disposing of their e-cigarettes in the bin when they are used up, rather than placing them in an e-waste recycling bin or returning them to the retailer.
Scott Butler, Executive Director of Material Focus, emphasized the need for increased mindfulness in the decisions we make as producers and consumers, as well as in the products we manufacture and purchase.
For many individuals, doing the right thing comes easily, as most people aspire to do what is morally correct.
Is the UK's top disposable e-cigarette brand sufficient?
However, our investigation suggests that a disposable e-cigarette manufacturer may not even be fulfilling its minimum obligation to recycle its products. The two leading brands of disposable e-cigarettes in the country are Elf Bar and Geek Bar.
According to UK law, these products are classified as Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). Under regulations, manufacturers or importers of products classified as WEEE are responsible for ensuring they are properly recycled, including applying for registration.
Our investigation did not find any evidence to indicate that the manufacturers or importers of Geek Bar or Elf Bar are registered with the WEEE registry. They did not respond to our interview requests.
We submitted the investigation findings to the Environmental Agency, which is responsible for enforcing the WEEE regulations. In their response, they stated: "Companies that sell electrical or electronic equipment in the UK market must comply with the WEEE regulations. Any company found to be in violation of these regulations will face appropriate enforcement action.
Disposable e-cigarettes are just one product among mountains of electronic waste that are not being recycled. Previous research by Material Focus estimated that there are around 500 million pieces of electronic waste in UK households. It found that precious metals such as copper, gold and lithium, which are stockpiled or buried, could be worth £370m a year to the UK economy.
The UK's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is currently reviewing how to improve the collection and recycling of "small mixed waste, electrical and electronic equipment" as defined by them, later this year.
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