A shocking 1.3 million single-use vapes are thrown in the bin each week and taken to landfills but a new recycling scheme aimed at university students is hoping to significantly reduce that number. Purfleet-based Blo Bar have announced an initiative that will see participants receive a free vape when they recycle 10 used vapes with them.
The NHS promotes vaping as a less harmful alternative to smoking with an estimated 4.3 million adults believed to have used e-cigarettes in the UK during 2022. According to GOV.UK, the surge in users was up 15.2% in 2022, compared with 2.2% in 2021.
Further research, meanwhile, based on a survey of students from 25 UK universities, found that 53% of them had used a popular brand of disposable vape since the start of term in September. Currently, the number of vapes that are being discarded as domestic rubbish is enough to cover 22 football pitches every year.
With vapes also containing lithium, they could be being used as a recyclable resource for car batteries. Blo Bar's new project the Disposable Vape Recycling Scheme sees the company willing to receive e-cigarettes from any brand, not just their own.
Participants can send in their 10 used disposable vapes by using a free postage label provided by Blo Bar, who will then correctly recycle the items in a UN-approved battery drum, which is transported to a recycling centre, where the lithium inside can be used for a new purpose. Full details on the Disposable Vape Recycling Scheme can be found here: https://blovapes.com/blogs/news/the-disposable-vape-recycling-scheme
A spokesperson for Blo Bar said: "As a new brand entering the market, we are all too aware of the issues surrounding the disposal of vapes. Rather than adding to the problem, our goal is instead to find a solution that seeks to address it.
"Throwing vapes directly into the bin is a much more convenient option than taking them to a recycling centre, particularly for those that don’t drive or live near one. But we recognise the importance of properly recycling the valuable materials found inside vapes, such as the lithium batteries, and want to highlight that vapes aren’t supposed to be disposed of in this way simply because of their 'single-use' nature.
"At Blo Bar, we have a responsibility to tackle this issue and create a simple solution for users. That’s why we’ve developed the Disposable Vape Recycling Scheme.
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"We have refined the process of our scheme to make it as simple and convenient as possible for vape users - whilst also offering an incentive for taking part. We hope that actively recycling vapes from our competitors, too, emphasises how passionate we are as a business to make a difference.
"As well as this, we are also offering free delivery of the used disposable vapes and the brand new vape in return. We are proud to help encourage vapers to recycle at no expense of their own.
"Although we cannot tackle the total amount of vapes going into landfill across the UK as a whole, we can still make a difference by saving the planet - 10 vapes at a time."
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