E-cigarettes, or electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), have rapidly gained global popularity, with consumption skyrocketing among youth and young adults. While marketed as healthier alternatives and eco-friendly compared to conventional cigarettes, mounting evidence highlights their significant environmental toll throughout their lifecycle—from production to disposal. This scoping review, conducted by Gabrielle Ngambo and colleagues, emphasises the urgent need for comprehensive research and regulatory action to address the multifaceted environmental consequences of e-cigarettes.

Key Findings on Environmental Impacts

1. Production Phase
   The manufacturing process of e-cigarettes demands substantial energy and water resources. Extracting and purifying nicotine involves generating non-recyclable waste and pollution. Moreover, the demand for e-cigarettes has the potential to increase land use for tobacco farming, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.
2. Usage and Emissions
   E-cigarette emissions contain toxic compounds, including aldehydes, particulate matter, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like benzene and toluene. These pollutants not only harm users but also pose risks to bystanders through passive exposure. In some cases, the levels of particulate matter and heavy metals in e-cigarette emissions are comparable to or exceed those of conventional cigarettes.
3. Disposal Challenges
   E-cigarette waste presents a growing environmental burden. Single-use vapes, spent pods, and discarded batteries often end up in landfills or are improperly disposed of. These components leach toxic substances, such as residual nicotine, heavy metals, and plastic micro-particles, into soil and water. Furthermore, lithium-ion batteries in e-cigarettes pose a fire and explosion hazard in waste facilities.

The review underscores the lack of comprehensive studies on the life-cycle impacts of e-cigarettes and the absence of universal regulations for their production, use, and disposal. It advocates for robust research to evaluate their environmental footprint and to compare the ecological impacts of e-cigarettes with conventional tobacco products.

Green Wings Project’s Role in Closing the Loop on Vape Waste
At Green Wings Project, we recognise the urgent need to address the environmental challenges posed by disposable vapes. Through our dedicated recycling initiatives, we aim to reduce the environmental damage caused by improperly discarded e-cigarettes. By establishing partnerships with local councils, waste management companies, and the broader public, we facilitate responsible recycling and advocate for the adoption of a circular economy. Our efforts not only mitigate pollution but also recover valuable resources like lithium for reuse.

We are committed to raising awareness about the hidden environmental costs of e-cigarettes and championing solutions that minimise waste. The findings from this review align closely with our mission to create a sustainable future where every discarded vape is an opportunity to protect our planet.

Click to read the full review here.

Featured image by Nareeta Martin via Unsplash

About Green Wings Project

Established in 2022, Green Wings Project is a charity organisation that aims to promote, for the benefit of the public, the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment through promoting, identifying and advancing solutions for recycling, reuse and harmless disposal of disposable/single-use electronic products. Currently, we are running a focused initiative on disposable vape recycling.