Vaping’s other problem: are e-cigarettes creating a recycling disaster?

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An estimated 55 million adults will be vaping by 2021, creating millions of devices that will be disposed of improperly

Vaping has been declared a serious health epidemic, but it could also create a massive recycling disaster, according to researchers. And top companies in the sector are piloting recycling programs to address the millions of devices improperly disposed of each year.

Market research group Euromonitor estimates that the number of adults who vape will reach almost 55 million by 2021. The e-cigarette market was worth approximately $5.5bn as of 2018. As of 2017, there were 565 types of e-cigarette devices on the market in the US, 184 of which were disposable or single-use, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. When littered, these products can leach dangerous metals, battery acid, and nicotine into the environment. And there is no legal way to recycle them.

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from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2Pqrt0C

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