Passenger baffled after spotting strange object under friend's car: 'I've never seen anything like this before'

One Reddit user is asking questions after discovering a strange device in a parking lot.

The user posted a photo of an electronic item that they claimed their friend ran over while backing out of an assigned parking space. While the user believed the device could have fallen from under their friend's car, they also noted a USB Type-C port on it, leading them to think it may not be a factory part or a car part at all.

Commenters were quick to chime in. — Photo Credit: Reddit

"I've never seen anything like this before," wrote the original poster. "Hopefully someone here can provide a little insight."

Commenters were quick to point out that the device was likely a disposable vape.

"That white silicone rubber thing with a hole in it is what you'll commonly see inside of them," shared one commenter. "The heating element that atomizes the vape juice goes right through that hole in that silicone gasket."

Disposable vapes frequently pop up where they shouldn't, not just as litter in the streets, but also as electronic waste in landfills. Environment America reported that Americans throw out an average of 4.5 vapes per second. That's about 150 million devices per year.

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Devices left out in the environment leak chemicals into the soil, potentially contaminating water supplies.

Vapes are ending up in landfills and on the streets at an unprecedented rate, meaning recyclers are missing out on their precious contents. Disposable vapes use a lithium-ion battery, and while each device only contains about a tenth of a gram of the metal, per Sky News, that adds up over time.

The EPA has advised that lithium-ion batteries should not be tossed out with household garbage. Instead, they should be taken to a special recycling facility to prevent fires and chemical leakage.

Right now, policymakers are working to slow the sale of disposable vapes, both for the health of their constituents and to prevent e-waste. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the FDA can block companies from selling fruit- and candy-flavored vapes.