Single-use vapes have become the latest pollution menace strewn across beaches, beauty spots and pavements.
A Mirror investigation found millions of the disposable items are being dumped every week, blighting towns, the countryside and the seas.
They are also posing a significant health threat to wildlife, sea life and birds as they contain materials and poisonous substances including plastic, lithium and nicotine.
Vets have told how dogs and cats have mistaken them for food, with reports of several deaths.
Half a billion vapes are bought each year in the UK.
In just a few hours, the Mirror found 85 vapes in gutters, paths and roads around the streets of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex.
It was a similar situation on the streets of Liverpool, where the littering was worst around schools.
The most popular brand found was Lost Mary, a firm which has a head office in Shenzhen, China.
Campaigners for the Wildlife and Countryside Link are now calling for a ban on single-use vapes.
Waste and resources policy officer Matt Dawson said: “Because it’s so difficult to recycle disposable vapes, we’re seeing a massive waste of precious resources like lithium which could be put to much better use.”
Booming in popularity, especially among those aged 18-34, they are easy to use and cheap, costing just a few pounds for around 600 puffs – the equivalent of a pack of 20 cigarettes.
Last week England’s chief medical officer attacked the “appalling” marketing of vapes to children and called for a crackdown.
Because they contain valuable materials the devices are classed as Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment. They are meant to be disposed of at recycling centres or the shops that sold them.
If damaged when dumped, their lithium batteries can cause fires. It is estimated a quarter of a billion end up in the bin containing 10 tons of lithium, the equivalent of 1,200 electric vehicle batteries.
The RSPCA told how it has received more than 10,000 calls in the last three years about animals impacted by litter, with a growing number of calls about vapes.
Scientific officer Evie Button said: “Vapes contain a variety of materials and poisonous substances including plastic, lithium and nicotine, all of which can be hazardous to animals when discarded as litter or not disposed of properly.
“Carelessly discarded used vapes seems to be a growing trend, and that’s a real concern for us.”
Clean Seas at the Marine Conservation Society head Laura Foster revealed volunteers are reporting finding an increased number of vapes on our beach cleans.
She said: ”The shift from reusable vapes to throwaway items is a step backwards, and a huge concern for us.
“Disposable vapes are being littered on streets and beaches, finding their way into the sea and polluting our marine environment.
“We are calling for a ban on single-use vapes to help keep our beaches and seas clean.” Clean Up Britain founder John Read called for “dedicated vape bins to be funded by the tobacco companies to be installed at key public points”, such as bus stops and railways stations.
But he said it is the responsibility of every person to dispose of their litter properly.
Mr Read added: “Littering is a crime against society and people need to take personal responsibility and not constantly look to shift blame.
“That has become a British disease which we need to kick. Otherwise Britain will remain the rancid, run-down and littered dump it is today.”
Lithium demand for batteries is forecast to increase fivefold by 2030.
University College London professor of materials and society Mark Miodownik said it should not be used in disposable devices.
He added: “We can’t be throwing it away. Lithium is one of the things that is going to fuel the green economy.”
Last month, Waitrose announced it will stop selling disposable vapes to help reduce the number being dumped in landfill sites. Campaigner Laura Young, dubbed the “vape crusader”, raised the alarm over the gadgets in her hometown of Dundee.
The Scottish government is considering banning them. There are no plans south of the border to outlaw single-use vapes.
But from October, single-use plastic plates, trays, bowls, cutlery, balloon sticks and certain types of polystyrene cups and food containers will be banned in England.
Lost Mary did not respond to requests for comment.
250million
250million vapes estimated to be thrown awayper year. We found 85 in just a few hours on the streets of Brighton, East Sussex.
10
10 tonnes of lithium wasted in discarded vapes, enough for 1,200 electric vehicle batteries
