With disposable vapes proving to be a major environmental burden, one vape company whose products are sold in the United Kingdom, Feelm, has decided to launch a new program aimed at coaxing vapers into recycling their used vapes by offering them free vapes in exchange for returning their used ones.
Feelm, a subsidiary of the world’s largest vape company, Smoore, is initially launching their new vape recycling program in select cities across England, which include Manchester, Birmingham and London. The company intends to roll out the program across the rest of England within six months.
Vapers can return their used disposables by mailing them directly to a recycling center or returning them to participating London vape shops. Vapers who choose to mail their devices directly to a recycling center can do so free of charge so long as they use Royal Mail to ship their devices.
The lithium batteries, plastic casings, coils, and other components that comprise disposable vapes are recyclable. Unfortunately, many vapers do not recycle their used vapes. As a result, a significant number of disposable vapes end up in landfills.
According to data from the recycling group Material Focus, there are well over a million disposable vapes thrown away each week in the United Kingdom. With “disposable” vapes actually being recyclable, the reality is that every single vape should be recycled once it reaches the end of its life.
So why aren’t all vapes being recycled? The truth is that they should be. Unfortunately, it’s not as easy to recycle a used vape as some might think. As Emma Snait noted in her contribution to The Guardian, recycling a vape can be a convoluted process that requires research, effort, and the motivation to see it through.
While some might advise vapers to dismantle their devices to extract the lithium batteries inside, others advise against fiddling with devices and instead opting for the professional assistance provided by a recycling center that’s equipped to handle electronic waste. With a lack of clear instructions from vape manufacturers and local authorities, simply figuring out how to recycle a vape properly can prove to be a daunting task. This is where Feelm’s new vape recycling program aims to make a difference, hopefully by providing vapers with the knowledge and the incentive they need to recycle their used devices. Will it work? Only time will tell.
What happens when people send their old vapes to a landfill instead of recycling them? They start fires. Not always, but it has happened and it is likely to continue happening so long as vapers fail to properly dispose of their devices by ensuring they reach a recycling center equipped to handle e-waste.
With enough pressure or heat, a vape battery can ignite and start a fire. It can even explode. And it’s not just pressure and heat that can cause a vape battery to ignite, there’s also physical perforation, which is one reason why it’s inadvisable to tinker with your used disposable vape in an attempt to remove the battery yourself as you might accidentally puncture it and cause it to ignite or explode. It’s best to leave such matters to the professionals at recycling centers that handle e-waste such as lithium batteries.
Recycling vape batteries can yield not just lithium but also graphite, cobalt, and nickel. These materials can be transformed into mixed metal dust, which can then be repurposed to create new batteries for use in not just vapes but also laptops, smartphones, and other battery-powered electronic devices. The other materials found in vape batteries include steel, copper, and aluminum – all of which can also be recycled.
In all, vape batteries are 95% recyclable. Fortunately for vapers that do want to recycle their batteries, there are ways to go about it, which include:
- Local waste collection programs and events where e-waste and other hazardous materials can be recycled.
- Stores that accept batteries as part of their e-waste recycling programs, such as Best Buy, Lowe’s, Staples, and The Home Depot.
- Recycling centers.
If you’re unsure of where you can recycle your used batteries, Earth911 and Call2Recycle can help point you in the right direction. Call2Recycle is partnered with a number of major retail chains, including Lowe’s, Staples and The Home Depot, allowing it to provide recycling services in numerous locations.
