When a Redditor stumbled upon several curiously shaped plastic bits scattered across a sidewalk, their confusion — and frustration — quickly caught attention online.

In a post on r/WhatIsIt, the original poster shared a photo of a small plastic or rubber item shaped like a tiny T. "Little plastic bits, 1-1.5cm long, littered on floor," the post's title said.

The OP also provided additional details, sharing that they kept encountering the plastic or rubber bits on the pavement while walking around south London — so often that it raised concerns about how casually waste is being discarded in shared public spaces.

Other Redditors were quick to point out that these tiny bits were rubber stoppers for vapes.

One user explained: "Plugs the inhalation shaft in the tops of vapes/ dispos. Very useful for keeping the smell hidden at times. Not useful to find before someone else does once lost." 

"It's the vaper's version of leaving cigarette butts on the floor," another Redditor pointed out — a comparison that struck a nerve for many readers.

Cigarette butts are already one of the most common and dangerous forms of plastic pollution worldwide.

According to a study published in Environmental Research, roughly 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are littered each year. These plastics can take up to a decade to break down, leaching toxins like arsenic and nicotine into soil and waterways and posing serious risks to wildlife and human health.

Now, disposable vapes are adding to that burden.

E-cigarette use has surged, particularly among young people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that e-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among U.S. middle and high school students, with 1.63 million users in 2024.

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These disposable vapes are creating a huge waste problem. In the U.S., people throw away 5.7 disposable vapes per second, or approximately 500,000 per day, per the U.S. PIRG Education Fund. 

Shopping secondhand is one way to cut waste. Knowing recycling options is also a great way to address vape waste while practicing better disposal. Many vape users are struggling with proper vape disposal, citing issues like difficulty in finding drop-off sites for vape waste and a lack of clear disposal guidance, the Truth Initiative reported. 

The OP's finds, while unfortunate, show a bizarre range of things that can be found lying around in public spaces. One homeowner found a beautiful coffee table left on the curb, while another found two matching chairs. 

"Solved! Thank you everyone. There were so many of them. What is it about vaping that makes people think littering is okay?" the original poster replied.

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