Disposal of e-cigarette product waste is the social responsibility of the e-cigarette industry

Regulators across the U.S. are working to reduce waste from e-cigarettes and vaporizers, Tobacco Industry Newsletter reports. Joseph Hubbard, a spokesman for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), one of the agencies responsible for hazardous waste disposal, said agencies should have specific standards for responsibly disposing of product waste.

In the real world, ultimately, e-cigarette waste disposal is the manufacturer’s obligation. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) even requires manufacturers to conduct environmental impact studies as part of their premarket tobacco product applications before placing vaporizers on the market. Hubbard noted that vapor products may be subject to lithium-ion battery waste rules and guidelines in retail settings.

"When lithium-ion batteries are removed from e-cigarettes, EPA recommends recycling or disposing of the batteries through a special battery or electronic recycling disposal program," he said.

Nicotine in e-cigarettes is more complex. Hubbard recommends that companies use existing hazardous waste collection options, such as pharmaceutical recycling events or household hazardous waste collection. "If there is no recycling program for the nicotine cartridge or e-liquid portion of e-cigarettes, the EPA recommends that this waste be mixed with undesirable materials and placed in household waste," he said.

E-cigarette waste is also subject to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous waste regulations. The Resource Conservation Act gives the Environmental Protection Agency ultimate authority to control hazardous wastes “from cradle to grave,” including waste generated during manufacturing, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal.

Additionally, any non-household facility that generates hazardous waste, including e-cigarette retailers, is subject to RCRA regulation, according to Hubbard.

At the state and local level, environmental regulators are also working to reduce vapor product waste. A recent Capitol News Illinois (CNI) article discussed the efforts of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) to address the next emerging vaping crisis: toxic waste.

The idea for the policy survey began when IEPA employee James Jennings decided to research waste reduction and compliance policies related to e-cigarettes. "Although e-cigarettes are advertised as a relatively harmless alternative to smoking, they still contain hazardous waste, generic waste and plastic components that can have real downstream impacts," Jennings noted in the report. , an issue that requires industry and authorities to reform current waste management practices.

The vapor industry is keen to reduce its environmental impact. Many companies, including large tobacco companies that sell vapor products, have incorporated environmental protection into their corporate social responsibility programs. For example, Philip Morris International (PMI), the world's largest publicly traded tobacco company, said it will comply with all recommended government and industry standards.

For several years, PMI has been included on CDP Worldwide’s Climate A List, a ranking that reveals cities and businesses’ climate justice efforts. Altria Group, British American Tobacco, Japan Tobacco and Imperial Brands are also on the "Climate A" list.

Small companies are doing their part, too. For example, e-cigarette distributor GreenSmartLiving prides itself on standing up for climate justice, although it does so without the billions of dollars at the disposal of large corporations. Salt Lake City, Utah-based GreenSmartLiving's vaporizer and disposable pod products are recyclable. The company is also committed to promoting smoke-free products and has an environmentally friendly business model.

“We believe we are at a critical moment for the environment,” said Randon Jorgensen, director of digital marketing at GreenSmartLiving.

According to its website, GreenSmartLiving's corporate responsibility includes philanthropy, such as donating money to environmental charities. Jorgensen said: "We have to be mindful of future generations so that they can experience and appreciate the same things as previous generations. Our goal is to help in any way we can. GreenSmartLiving was developed to create a high-quality alternative for adult smokers , while also giving back to the planet and reducing waste.”

For every online purchase, GreenSmartLiving donates a tree to the Trees for the Future program. Jorgensen said the company has provided 71,897 trees so far. GreenSmartLiving also donates to other environmental NGOs. Jorgensen said it is offering its e-commerce customers a 20 percent discount if they return used products for proper disposal through the company's waste reduction and recycling program.

He said: "We offer recycling programs for online consumers and retail chains. Over the past ten years we have recycled more than 1 million cigarette pods. As a result, we have the potential to help remove more than 24 million cigarette butts from the environment."

Jorgensen said GreenSmartLiving challenges the environmental practices of other industry leaders, including large vapor and traditional tobacco companies. GreenSmartLiving stands out from the crowd with its unique approach to waste management, he said. "We have never targeted children or non-smokers; we just want to provide an alternative to smoking and allow you to control your nicotine intake with options to lower the nicotine content if you wish,"

Outside of the traditional vapor industry, there are companies looking to help curb e-cigarette waste. For example, TerraCycle, a waste and recycling management company in Trenton, New Jersey, develops and sells an environmentally friendly e-cigarette waste disposal box – the Zero Waste Box.

“We’ve seen a significant increase in sales of e-cigarette zero bins,” said Alex Payne, TerraCycle publicist. “Given the popularity of vaporizers in recent years, more consumers are becoming concerned about the waste generated by these devices, particularly all-in-one devices that contain batteries and e-liquid, which are discarded after disposal.”

Payne said TerraCycle provides a convenient recycling process for nicotine vaporizers and components. If the vaping trend continues, manufacturers and retailers should implement their own recycling solutions to address the environmental challenges posed by vapor product waste, he said.