Dedicated Vape Recycling Centre Opens In Stevenage
A recycling centre for electronic cigarettes has been opened in Stevenage after months of discussion surrounding their environmental impact and surging sales.
Reports of fires at recycling plants have been in the headlines for a while now and questions have been raised about how to deal with the millions of vapes in circulation. So popular have these devices come that the recycling industry cannot cope with them and their fragile lithium-ion batteries. If damaged, these can easily ignite and fuel massive blazes, causing yet more pollution.
That’s why VPZ, the UK’s largest vaping retailer, has teamed up with waste management firm WasteCare to create the vape-centric recycling centre. WasteCare will take care of the recycling process and use their experience and expertise to treat, manage, and dispose of the harmful batteries and plastic inside them, whilst VPZ will most likely aim to create products vaping products with more environmentally-sound materials.
The vaping industry is under pressure from several sections of the media due to their single-use nature and popularity among teenagers and young adults. New Zealand recently limited to use of flavoured vapes to specialised outlets to combat their allure to young people, who may become hooked on nicotine as a result of their fruity taste. The free-flowing vaping market in the UK and Europe has caused millions of the devices to be carelessly dumped or thrown away in the wrong bin, and the respective waste management industries do not have the capacity to deal with them all.
VPZ director Doug Mutter:
“We are excited to be launching this ground-breaking service with WasteCare to respond to an emerging environmental issue.’’
“Our partnership with WasteCare responds to this challenge head on and vapers can come into our network of over 150 stores throughout the country, including Stevenage, to recycle their vape devices, both disposable and reusable, in a safe and responsible way.
“Our service will also help us engage with adult smokers and vapers to educate them on the sustainable and environmental benefits of using reusable products.”
The advent of a dedicated vape recycling plant is a positive step for the under-pressure industry, but more work will need to be done in the future to combat both the environmental impact of vapes (particularly the disposable ones) and the growing popularity of them among young people. The news is, however, a step in the right direction.
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