Introduction
With so many various disposable vape pens hitting the market, conservationists and concerned customers are worried about the imminent flood of post-consumer waste these items are producing.
Disposable vapes have become popular in recent years, with many new and even seasoned vapers turning to these ultra-convenient throw-away gadgets. However, because they are constructed of strong plastics as well as heavy metals, they are not the most environmentally responsible alternative available.
So, if you want to help the environment by recycling your old devices, you’ve come to the right spot because we’ll explain how to get rid of disposable vapes in this instructive piece!
Why We Cannot Throw Disposable Vapes Away Randomly
Vape devices are made up of many components that might pollute the environment if discarded carelessly. One of the polluting wastes is the lithium battery, which is a critical component of the device. This kind of battery contains harmful acids. Of course, battery acid isn’t the only harmful ingredient. There’s also plastic and nicotine in vapes (though probably in a very small quantity by the time you throw it away). All of these things have the potential to contribute to pollution.
If you’re out and about, the obvious place to dispose of an old disposable vape is in a public bin. The concept is straightforward: we don’t want harmful or poisonous compounds leaking into our water supply. When batteries, like those used in vapes, are disposed of in a landfill, the compounds that power the batteries eventually leak into the ground. They will then infiltrate the groundwater, which they will gradually poison. These can cause problems for aquatic animals, fish, and birds. Even human beings are at a health risk with the toxic chemicals seeping into our water supply. For this reason, we need to be careful when discarding these devices.
Batteries can also cause a variety of additional issues, such as overheating, which can result in fires and, in extreme cases, even explosions. Even your AA batteries aren’t safe to throw away. Dropping the used vaping devices in the litter pins exposes personnel who come into direct contact with them during the waste and recycling process to a slew of hazards. The lithium battery in the device poses the greatest risk. If a lithium battery is a perforated one while in transit, it may suddenly ignite like a firecracker. You can find numerous videos on YouTube of lithium batteries that appear to ignite on conveyor belts in recycling facilities. This means that a lithium battery is a highly hazardous item that can cause significant and life-threatening accidents.
In addition to the potential danger posed by lithium batteries, leftover e-liquid in the disposable vaping device is categorized as a biocide, which means it can be toxic to living beings. This means that particular regulations apply to the storage, transportation, and processing of items containing waste e-liquid. The third major danger is poor hygiene. People will have disposable vapes in their mouths, and as we learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, bacteria and viruses can travel pretty easily.
Vapes are also made of plastic parts. We all know the problems that we have had to contend with when plastics are not handled and disposed of properly. If they are not recycled, plastics end up in landfills and probably on the beautiful beaches that are tourist attractions. Plastics, unlike paper and glass, do not biodegrade and hence survive in the natural environment permanently. Plastic is broken down into small “microplastics” that linger in the aquatic environment and are consumed by fish, birds, and, increasingly, people. Plastic items also sink to the seafloor. So, if vape pens are thrown randomly, the plastic components may end up in the water bodies and probably in the stomachs of aquatic animals and birds.
Pictures of turtles that have gone insane due to the rings may be found all over the internet. Lovelace from “Happy Feet” is a wonderful example: he had a plastic ring put around his neck and had no way of removing it. In addition to general plastic, discarded litter can draw the interest of birds, including pelicans. When they consume it, they can’t digest it, so it slowly kills them.
The glass on the cartridges may also affect the beaches around cities. The broken pieces of glass may pose a danger to the visitors and wild animals there. This will, without question, affect the reputation of the beaches negatively.
How to Handle our Empty Disposable Vapes
Before we tell you about the best way to handle empty disposable vapes, let us talk about the problems related to these devices.
One disadvantage of disposable vapes is that, while they are convenient, they are not environment-friendly. The components are built-in, which means they cannot be replaced. Additionally, the materials used to construct the gadgets are also difficult to recycle. Since vape pens are tiny and, more importantly, have too many different components to be discarded, they end up in a landfill. Steel, cotton, or polyester can be used to make the wick. Moreover, many have battery-powered LED lights, which, like other electronics, are classified as “e-waste.”
The recycling system is incapable of breaking down multifaceted components. The current can separate glass from aluminum, but in a small vape device, the glass cartridge will break.
Furthermore, vape oil residue presents the same issue as plastic and glass jars with jam or peanut butter residues. These things cannot be recycled unless they’re clean, because residue causes complications in the chemical recycling process.
Nonetheless, there has to be a way to deal with empty disposable vape pens because they are problematic. Here is how you can dispose of your empty disposable vape, according to Alex Fairclough, a mechatronics engineer. However, bear in mind that battery removal might be risky. Wear suitable safety equipment and exercise caution at all times. If in doubt, seek the advice of a specialist.
According to Alex, the battery is the most important component of the vape device.
Now, let us go.
Step 1: Dismantle the components
The first step in handling an empty vape device is to dismantle the components. The first things that you need to remove are the heater cartridge and the air-activated switch. These bits are the main components of a disposable vape.
Using pliers, remove both ends of the vape. You can also loosen it with a screwdriver.
Simply press on the juice pod end to release the vape’s contents. Be careful with the battery. The side with the small electrical wires is the battery end, while the side with ordinary plastic is the juice pod’s top.
Step 2: Free the e-juice pod from the battery
To effectively do this, you need something that can cut the wire connecting the two really nicely and cleanly, according to Alex. A pair of wire cutters or a sharp pair of scissors may help. If possible, use plastic tools, go slowly, and don’t do it in an area where it could cause damage if it catches fire. As stated earlier, you need to be very careful when dealing with the battery because a small injury to it could cause a chemical fire (which could start quickly and explosively). So, be very careful!
You will see two wires connected to one end of the vape battery and one to the other. If there is any clear tape on the vape battery that is hiding the wires, gently peel it off. This makes it easier to cut the cables, but don’t remove the blue tape covering the battery. Cut the wires as closest to the battery as practicable. Don’t let the clipped ends of the end with two wires touch. If they do, they could spark and cause a fire. The simplest method to avoid this would be to cut the wires one at a time carefully. After that, wrap the battery with sticky tape to keep the wires from contacting during shipment.
Step 3: Rinse out the tank /cartridge
If you don’t properly dispose of used tanks or cartridges, the left e-liquid residue staying inside them can be dangerous to the environment. Some disposable vapes do not have enough battery life to utilize until the last drop of e-liquid is consumed. Before disposing of or recycling disposable vape pens, thoroughly rinse them with water.
Step 4: Disposing of the components
The last step is to dispose of the components. For the battery, you may need to take it for recycling. The plastic bits must all be discarded, including the – pretty horrible to consider – wet juice pod. When throwing out little items, Alex suggests putting them all in a takeout container or zip-lock bag to reduce the possibility of the items ending up in a bird’s mouth or the ocean. The gleaming aluminum tubes can be discarded in the recycling bin. If you’re feeling inventive, they can also serve numerous functions.
Conclusion
As you can see, it is quite challenging to dispose of disposable vape devices. The main problem with these devices is that they are not designed with recycling in mind. This is because vape cartridges and pens need so many materials in tiny quantities to create just one device. Nonetheless, randomly throwing the devices can pose significant problems for the environment, meaning there has to be a way to dispose of them safely. We hope that the process we explained above will help. However, you should be very careful because it is risky.
