Woman baffled after finding concerning item discarded in the bushes: 'I don't understand why these aren't banned'

Plastic in a natural beauty spot is always an eyesore, but it's made even worse when it's an item that should be restricted.

Vapes, and especially disposable vapes, are a contentious subject because they often result in plastic pollution. When TikToker Sophie (@sophiesuperlitterpicking) was strolling through her hometown of Weston-super-Mare, picking up litter, she came across a bright pink vape discarded in a rosemary bush.

@sophiesuperlitterpicking Are single use and disposable vapes banned yet? 🤦🏼‍♀️ We, like many litter pickers are fed up of finding them, especially in plants! #sophiessuperlitterpicking #KeepingWestonSUPER #litterheroes #litterheroesambassador #litterpicking #SUPERcommunity #WeAreCommunity #litterattractslitter #keepbritaintidy #cleanupuk #bethechange #solutionnotpollution #bansingleusevapes #bandisposablevapes ♬ Inside My Love - TWOPILOTS

"Why is this vape … dumped here at our bus interchange in the rosemary?" Sophie asked, videoing the offending trash. "And why is it that size?"

In the next shot, Sophie demonstrates how big the vape is, as it almost fills her palm.

Disposable vapes have a massive negative impact on the environment. According to nonprofit campaign group Material Focus, 5 million disposable vapes are thrown away in the United Kingdom every week. On top of that, only 17% of people correctly recycle their vapes, leading to overcrowding in landfills and unsightly litter.

Discarded vapes ruin the natural beauty of areas, and they also cause flat tires. The lithium batteries leach toxic metals and chemicals, contaminating the area. Additionally, though vapes are touted as a better alternative to cigarettes, they still can cause health concerns such as "throat and mouth irritation, headache, cough and feeling sick," according to Cancer Research UK.

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Plastic waste can harm local ecosystems and wildlife as well, and the creation of millions of disposable vapes that last for a handful of weeks at most is a terrible use of the planet's resources.

If you use vapes, it is important to recycle the devices properly. Alternatively, you could look into using a vape that lasts for a longer time to reduce waste.

The good news, however, is that the U.K. government has pledged to ban disposable vapes from June 1 after much campaigning.

"The government bans so many other single-use products, so I don't understand why these aren't banned," one TikTok user commented.