The Environmental Impact of Disposable E-cigarettes in the UK

In the UK, single-use electronic cigarettes are being discarded at a rate of 1.3 million per week, with few entering any type of recycling process and many ending up as litter on beaches. They are made of plastic and contain lithium batteries that can be recharged multiple times instead of being used for just one power cycle. The lithium disposed of every year in these electronic cigarettes is enough to manufacture batteries for 1,200 electric cars. They also contain toxic nicotine.

Do you want to know how these disposable products make it to the market? There is a high level of public concern about plastic waste. Some single-use plastic items, such as plates, utensils, food containers, and cups, will be banned for use this year. There are already laws in place for the collection and recycling of electronic waste. Lithium is a crucial material needed for batteries in everything from smartphones to electric cars.

It's not necessary for electronic cigarette devices to be disposable, rechargeable and refillable versions are easily available. Therefore, disposable e-cigarettes are a completely unnecessary product, but selling them has become a huge business in the UK.

Last week, a group of 18 environmental, health, and youth charity organizations called on the UK government to ban single-use electronic cigarette products. Health charities are particularly concerned as many under-18s are using e-cigarettes, leading to addiction to nicotine. Over half of those using e-cigarettes are using single-use products. The Scottish government has consulted on restricting e-cigarette advertising in an attempt to reduce their appeal to children, but limited success has been achieved as e-cigarette shops are more common than shoe shops and they are found in almost every newsagent's beside the cash register.

The use of lithium batteries in general waste streams may pose a significant problem. In July, a fire broke out at the Altens waste processing plant in Aberdeen, which took five days to put out, most likely caused by the lithium batteries found in small electronic devices such as e-cigarettes.

By 2040, the demand for lithium is expected to increase tenfold and the more we waste, the greater the need for mining. Australia is the largest producer of lithium, but the majority of global lithium reserves are located in the region spanning Argentina, Bolivia and Chile, where there are already conflicts between local communities and mining companies, particularly around water usage.

The Republic of Ireland is set to discuss the banning of disposable e-cigarettes due to concerns over littering and waste.

Single-use electronic cigarettes are a glaring example of our wasteful, disposable culture. Whether you're concerned about plastic waste, proper use of rare lithium, the dangers of addiction in children, garbage, or even the destruction of your local waste facilities, they should never have been allowed on the market in the first place. Let's correct this mistake and ban them.

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