The United Kingdom's ban on single-use vapes doesn't seem to be curbing the waste as much as people hoped it would.
According to the BBC, vapes are still causing fires at recycling plants, despite the ban. The new restrictions came into effect on June 1, prohibiting businesses from selling or stocking disposable vapes, whether or not they contain nicotine.
Unfortunately, recycling facilities continue to report improperly recycled single-use vapes. One facility, Biffa, told the BBC it had to deal with 60 fires caused by vapes in June alone. Veolia, another recycling management company, said it has seen one fire a day due to vape batteries.
Most single-use vapes use lithium batteries, which can start fires when crushed. Richard Hulland, the chief risk and assurance officer at Veolia UK, told the BBC, "This puts our people and the public in danger."
Roger Wright, the strategy and packaging manager at Biffa, echoed the same concerns, saying, "We're seeing more vapes in our system, causing more problems, more fires than ever before."
The issue is that, while these vapes can be recycled, they do not belong in general recycling. They have to be sent to a different facility, which many people either don't realize or don't want to do.
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This issue costs the U.K. waste industry $1.3 billion a year. The vapes cause a wide range of issues, including unsightly litter, nicotine consumption among minors, plastic pollution, public health problems, and lithium mining pollution.
The consequences of single-use vapes impact individuals, communities, and the planet. Humans and wildlife suffer from excess pollution, and these vapes are not conducive to a cool, clean future.
Wright explained that a separate collection service for vapes and other electronics would help these items be recycled correctly. The U.K. government requires businesses to have recycling bins for customers, but not everyone uses them.
It's important to understand how to recycle products like this. If disposed of properly, they can be part of a circular economy that is more sustainable and kinder to the environment.
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No way 🙅 The vape industry insists the ban has worked. The chairman of the Independent British Vape Trade Association, Marcus Saxton, has called the ban a success, saying, "We can see through the data consumers are refilling and recharging devices," per BBC.
As of now, recycling facilities haven't seen any positive changes. But, hopefully, the ban will prove effective over time.
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