Cigarette butts carelessly discarded remain a blot on our landscape. However, this pales into insignificance compared to the vape battery waste from non-rechargeable ‘pens’. Researchers at University of Oxford, University College London, and The Faraday Institution investigated the extent of this waste in the United Kingdom.
Vape Battery Waste Reaches Alarming Proportions
The Oxford University press release that we link to below, confirms that the batteries in those discarded vape pens could recharge hundreds of times, although the current design of the devices does not allow for this. This represents a huge waste of the energy committed to manufacturing these batteries that could do so much more.
A strong surge of interest in vaping among the United Kingdom’s young people, suggests that up to two million used vapes enter the garbage cycle there every week. These probably contain well over 25,000 pounds weight of lithium metal according to the study. This is why we say that vape battery waste is more than just smoke.
The United Kingdom’s vape trash cycle should lead to recycling plants, by law. However, this is unfortunately not the case, due to the same carelessness that we see with cigarette butts. And as a result of this, large amounts of toxic nickel, cobalt, and organic solvent vape battery waste end up in landfill, from where these leach into nearby waterways.
Do Disposable Vapes Represent a Fire Risk?
The original research report, which we also link to below, details a nail test the researchers conducted as part of their safety evaluation. They conducted their trial on a fully charged lithium-ion vape battery cell, and obtained the thermal reaction in the video below, plus toxic smoke:
The point of impact on the test cell registered a temperature of 495°C, while the area near the outside surface was a lower 270°C, suggesting the cell partly contained the thermal event. Although the heat was still capable of igniting a fire, and causing serious burns to users, the report concludes.
More Information
Recycling Lithium-Ion Battery Vapes
Disposable Vape Recycling Becoming An Issue
Preview Image: A User Enjoys a Quiet Vape
