Are Disposable Vapes Environmentally Friendly?

Are Disposable Vapes Environmentally Friendly?

Disposable vapes are intended for single use and are usually an all-in-one device. Disposing of these can damage the environment if this is not done correctly.

Many people who have been smoking traditional cigarettes or tobacco-related products have recently begun using devices made by popular disposable vape brands as a more convenient and much less harmful alternative to smoking tobacco-related products.

Disposable vapes are non-rechargeable devices that come pre-filled with around 2ml of vape juice. Each vape can provide around 300 - 700 puffs, depending on the brand and device itself. If you were a heavy and frequent smoker, you might be able to finish a disposable vape in a day which in the long run will create a significant amount of waste that can be harmful to the environment.

If you are using just one disposable vape per week, from one user alone, there will be roughly 52 disposable vapes that have been disposed of, and if this is not done correctly, it can harm the environment.

This sort of waste can have a very negative impact on the environment and can potentially be harmful to water and animal habitats. Plastic can take up to 1000 years to decompose, meaning that millions of disposable vape pen wastage could possibly pollute the earth for many years.

The plastic problem is one of the biggest downfalls of disposable vapes. Every year, more than 14 million tonnes of plastic waste can end up in the ocean, damaging nature and the environment.

Many disposable vape brands now recognise this environmental issue and are working quickly to produce more environmentally friendly disposable vape devices.

How Does Vaping Disposables Harm The Environment?

Using disposable vapes poses a potential environmental threat, significantly harmful to the environment due to high levels of plastic and metal waste that may eventually end up in landfills.

Suppose disposable vapes and e-cigarettes are not disposed of properly. In that case, they can break down into chemicals and microplastics that have a high possibility of polluting the environment by contaminating the world's water and natural habitats.

Disposable vapes are made for single use only, meaning they must be disposed of when it's dead or empty. With the trend of disposable vapes increasing in popularity, this may start to amount to significant amounts of waste from disposable vapes in landfills.

Companies are improving daily to develop a more environmentally friendly alternative.

• Vuse are the first carbon-neutral vape manufacturer
• VYKO is an Eco-friendly disposable vape made using recycled paper. Plastic-free and available in 10 flavours.
• DOTMOD disposables are 100% recyclable and made from cardboard and food-grade silicone.

Do Disposable Vapes Pollute The Air?

Disposable vapes may temporarily impact indoor air quality. But this only seems to be to the extent that air fresheners do the same.

Since many traditional cigarette smokers have chosen disposable vape products as a less harmful alternative to the conventional tobacco cigarette they are used to; we are seeing more studies on how the aerosol from disposable vapes can affect the air quality.

The fluids housed inside disposable vapes, known as "e-liquids", are vaporised through heating, which creates a vapour that is then inhaled. Regulated E-liquids usually contain these main substances: propylene glycol and vegetable glycerine, flavourings, and, in some cases, nicotine. The vaping process is activated by pressing a button or inhaling the mouthpiece. The substances from the liquid can only enter room air when the vapour produced has been exhaled.

Second-hand exposure to second-hand smoke (as some people may know it) is highly damaging for people to constantly breathe in, especially children. Conversely, there is no current evidence conclusively proving harm through second-hand vapour.

According to the NHS website 'Research into this area is ongoing, but it seems that e-cigs release negligible amounts of nicotine into the atmosphere and the limited evidence available suggests that any risk from passive vaping to bystanders is small relative to tobacco cigarettes. But some health professionals have recommended avoiding vaping around pregnant women, babies and children.'

Shop from a variety of 0mg, 5mg, 10mg, and 20mg disposable vapes at IndeJuice.

For more insights, check out our vape guides on are disposable vapes biodegradable and what happens to disposable vapes when put in bin?