How to Dispose of a Disposable Vape in the UK?

Disposable vape kits are all the rage right now. Wherever you go, you’re likely to bump into someone puffing on one of these bars. People use them to quit cigarettes, smoke disposables recreationally, or simply enjoy them for their flavour. However delicious and appealing they may be, these vapour sticks can potentially be harmful to the environment if not disposed of correctly.

In this article, we’ll take you through the dos and don’ts of getting rid of your empty disposable vape devices. By the time you’re done reading, you’ll have a better idea of their environmental impact and proper disposal methods.

Understanding Disposable Vapes

Although the earliest versions of disposable e-cigarettes can be traced all the way back to 2004, they truly grew in popularity in the recent couple of years as part of a growing trend of moving away from traditional, combustible cigarettes to less stinky options with reduced risk. Disposables are a good alternative to complex vape rigs that have a lot of removable internal components and are generally rather unapproachable for beginners. They’re incredibly easy to use, as all you’ve got to do is unpack your vape stick and start puffing away.

The battery, atomizer, and liquid tank are the main parts of any disposable vape, and as opposed to refillable rigs, none of them is detachable. It’s all contained in one neat little package you can use until it runs out of juice. After that, it becomes pretty much useless, though.

This is where we get to the main issue with these vapes: proper disposal. Even though they’re cheap, single-use devices you can get at virtually any corner shop, they still contain electronic components and, as such, can’t be thrown away just like any other piece of rubbish.

Legal Regulations for Disposing of Disposable Vapes in the UK

Seeing as disposable vape pens become electronic waste once you drain them of their e-juice, they fall under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive. This makes throwing them out in the general rubbish bin illegal, and while most days, you can probably get away with it, that doesn’t mean it’s something you should do if you want to get rid of your old vapes. Intentionally causing harm to the environment is highly unethical. Furthermore, failing to comply with the WEEE directive can result in a fine of up to £5,000 if you do get caught.

Proper Disposal of Disposable Vapes

While it might seem like a hassle at first, it’s actually not that hard to dispose of disposable vapes properly in this day and age. Electrical recycling bins are commonplace now, and you can easily find one in your vicinity if you live in one of the major cities. There are also other things you can do to safely dispose of your vape, such as:

• Take it to your local recycling centre: if you tend to vape a lot, you’re more than likely to build up a decent collection of used-up disposable devices. You can take the whole lot to your local recycling centre, and they’ll gladly take it off your hands!
• Give it back to the retailer: many vape sellers run takeback programs, which allow vapers to simply take their emptied devices back to where they bought them for safe disposal. Many manufacturers actually recycle parts of these devices to make new ones, which is really the best, most environmentally-friendly way to go about the whole ordeal.
• Take it apart yourself: if you’ve got some free time, you can actually disassemble your vape all by yourself. Closely inspect your vape to find the detachable part that allows you to get to the internal components of the device. Once it’s opened up, take out the plastic e-liquid tank, battery, and cotton wick. You can take the tank, cotton, and the rest of the waste from your vape’s plastic exterior to your regular plastic recycling bin. With that done, all that’s left is dumping the battery in a battery recycling box!

Alternatives to Disposable Vapes

If you’re concerned about the environmental impact of disposable vape devices but don’t want to give up your habit, you might want to look into some other options that allow you to get your nicotine fix and delicious flavours without as much electronic waste.

Refillable Vapes

This is an obvious solution if you love vaping, but don’t want to contribute to the electronic waste stream that is flooding our planet as much. Many beginners might find them intimidating at first, with all the bottles of liquid, exchangeable coils, and tinkering that goes into making sure your vape kit works as intended. However, it’s actually not that hard once you understand the basics. Many manufacturers also offer beginner-friendly options with atomizers in the form of detachable pods, which make refilling and replacing your used-up coil much, much easier.

Heated Tobacco

It’s a little-known fact, but heated tobacco products were around long before vaping, with the first such device being released all the way back in 1988. It is not until the late 2010s, though, that they really started picking up steam as the go-to alternative for smokers looking to ditch regular cigarettes. Just like in the case of refillable vapes, your heated tobacco devices will last you for a long time, radically reducing the impact of your smoking habit on the environment.

NEAFS

Our NEAFS sticks that use the same technology as heated tobacco products are a great choice if you not only want to avoid polluting the planet with electronic waste, but also for all those looking to rely less on tobacco altogether. We use premium tea leaves instead of tobacco leaves in our heated cigarette sticks, which come in a variety of flavours, such as strawberry, coffee, or mojito.

Given the amount of pollution that the tobacco industry is responsible for, NEAFS can actually be considered a more environmentally mindful option for smokers who want to break away from tobacco but still retain the feeling they get when puffing on a traditional cigarette.

The Bottom Line

Disposable vapes are fun and tasty, but there is no denying that they are the least environmentally-conscious cigarette alternative. Once the juice ends or the battery runs out, you’ll have to properly dispose of your single-use vapes, as their batteries contain heavy metals that are prone to leakage and terrible for the environment. Thankfully, nowadays, there are plenty of options to safely get rid of these devices or even get them recycled to create more vapes.

If you’re ready to make the switch to a more sustainable alternative, check out NEAFS. Our TEO devices and heated sticks that use tea leaves will provide you with the authentic tobacco experience with no tobacco involved!