Disposable vapes are becoming an increasing problem for the environment.
Due to certain components, such as lithium-ion batteries, vapes are not recyclable and cannot be disposed of in general waste.
Vape use has skyrocketed over the past year, increasing from 7.8% in 2021 to 52.8% in 2022, a rise of 45%.
Litter Free Dorset Co-Ordinator, Emma Teaside, explained how “the number of people vaping has doubled, trebled, quadrupled, over the last year or so.”
“Our big things coming up are the issue of vapes. We’re going to be working with AUB (Arts University Bournemouth) and BU (Bournemouth University) about raising awareness.”
Litter Free Dorset’s mission is to bring public notice to the fact that these items are non-biodegradable, and are often found in landfills or are incinerated. She shared that their plan of action is to spread awareness on how detrimental they are.
Emma Teaside referred to them as a “nightmare for the environment”, and claims they were “put on the market with absolutely no regard for how they will be disposed of.”
As a result, she believes that: “we’re literally manufacturing them in order to throw them away.”
NHS Nurses will continue to fight