April 28 - The UK E-Cigarette Industry Association (UKVIA) has released a comprehensive green map of sustainable e-cigarettes following an industry-wide consultation, it was reported.

The Green Action plan was developed with input from the waste industry, regulators, the retail industry, e-cigarette manufacturers and consumer behaviour experts. At the same time, the industry is facing increased scrutiny about the environmental impact of e-cigarettes, particularly single-use products, known as single-use vaping products.

John Dunne, Director General, UKVIA: While entry level disposable devices have led to record numbers of adult smokers switching to e-cigarettes because of their ease of use and convenience, the industry recognises that more must be done to prevent their impact on the e-cigarette environment. In fact, disposables have been around for a while, but have become very popular in the past few years, especially among low-income people where smoking is most prevalent.

"Greenprint aims to mobilize environmental action to support a sustainable vape industry of the future. It covers the development of recycling infrastructure suitable for the vape industry, new vape innovations to make products more recyclable and reusable, and the support that needs to be provided to encourage more retailers and consumers to participate in environmentally conscious campaigns for the disposal of Vape products."

The environmental action list includes:

retail

Point-of-sale posters used in stores to inform vape customers that used devices should be recycled rather than thrown away.

Provide better training for retail staff so that they can advise customers properly on recycling options.

Retailers are telling e-cigarette users that refillable multipurpose devices are more cost-effective and environmentally friendly than single-use systems.

Retailers offer in-store collection points for all used vape devices that need to be disposed of (not just products purchased from their specific stores) and encourage people to use them.

In-store collection points are prominently located, and those who discard their devices are under no obligation to buy more.

consumer

The industry is calling disposables recyclables rather than disposable products to discourage them from being disposable.

Manufacturers and/or retailers offer incentives to customers who recycle used equipment.

Conduct public information advertising campaigns to normalize the recycling of e-cigarettes, thereby creating social stigma and peer pressure when discarding e-cigarettes.

Use a smartphone app to notify vape users of the nearest vape recycling bin.

E-cigarette manufacturers and retailers incorporate recycling guidelines and information into future promotions and on/inside packaging.

Product design

Packaging better emphasizes to consumers that vape devices must be recycled and not thrown away, for example through the use of words such as recyclable or recycled.

Explore how to redesign disposable vape products for future use.

E-cigarette manufacturers visit waste treatment plants so that they understand the material flow and incorporate this factor into their product designs to facilitate the recycling process.

The industry is looking to power sources that are more environmentally friendly than lithium batteries.

Waste infrastructure

Make it as easy as possible for consumers to recycle used products by setting up recycling collection facilities at the point of use rather than the point of sale, such as bars, clubs, transport hubs and offices.

The e-cigarette industry and waste suppliers work closely together to find viable long-term solutions to process and recycle products.

The waste industry designs easy-to-use e-cigarette recycling containers.

Regulatory policy

All relevant e-cigarette businesses must comply with the Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment Ordinance 2013 (WEEE Regulations); Producer Responsibility (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2007 and Packaging Waste (Data Reporting) Regulations 2023.

Producers either register with environmental regulators or join a producer compliance program (depending on the number of products)

Proper regulation to ensure that manufacturers are environmentally responsible will not deter smokers from switching to e-cigarettes.

The regulatory framework should not only punish offenders but also reward producers for their environmental performance.

Change legislation to increase the maximum capacity from 2ml to 10ml to drastically reduce waste.