A joint investigation by Sky News and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism has found that despite containing valuable lithium, a boom in the sale of single-use e-cigarettes has led to millions of people ending up in landfills.

Available in a variety of colours and flavours, this pen-sized device is hassle-free and highly addictive, and is the UK's fastest growing smoking alternative, surpassing other types of refills and reusables for the first time this year. of electronic cigarettes.

Our research shows that users in the UK throw away around two single-use e-cigarettes every second.

The batteries in ordinary disposable e-cigarettes contain less than one-tenth of a gram of lithium metal. But when it adds up, the amount of discarded single-use e-cigarettes accounts for about 10 tons of lithium that is sent to landfill or waste incinerators every year—enough to make batteries for 1,200 electric vehicles.

Mark Miodonick, professor of materials and sociology at UCL, said: "It's really crazy in a climate emergency that we can't throw these materials away.

"It's in your laptop, your phone, and your electric car. It's the material we're totally dependent on to get rid of fossil fuels and solve climate problems."

Market research for Material Focus by non-profit recycling group Opinium found that 18% of the 4,000 people surveyed had purchased e-cigarettes in the previous year. Of those, 7% said they purchased a disposable device. This shows that around 168 million single-use e-cigarettes are bought in the UK each year.

More than half of users report that when they run out of e-cigarettes, they throw them in the trash instead of putting them in the recycling bin for used appliances, or return them to retailers.

“From producers to us as consumers, we need to be more mindful of the decisions we make, the products we make and the products we buy,” said Scott Butler, executive director of Material Focus.

"It needs to be made easier for many people to do the right thing because most people want to do the right thing."

Is the UK's top disposable e-cigarette brand enough?

But our investigation suggests that single-use e-cigarette makers may not even meet the minimum obligation to recall their products.

The two leading disposable e-cigarette brands in the country are Genie Bar and Geek Bar.

Under UK law, these products are classified as waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). According to the regulations, producers or importers of products classified as WEEE have certain responsibilities to ensure they are recycled, including registering themselves.

Our investigation found no evidence that the manufacturer or importer of the Geek Bar or Elf Bar was on the WEEE register. None of them responded to our request for comment.

We submit our findings to the Environment Agency responsible for enforcing WEEE regulations.

In response, it told us: Businesses selling electrical or electronic equipment on the UK market must comply with WEEE regulations. Any business identified as not complying with these regulations will be subject to an appropriate enforcement response.

Disposable e-cigarettes are just one product in a growing body of unrecycled electrical and electronic waste.

Previous research by Material Focus estimated that there are around 500 million items of electrical waste in UK households. It found that the amount of precious metals such as copper, gold and lithium being hoarded or landfilled could be worth £370 million a year to the UK economy.

Defra is reviewing how to improve the collection and recycling of what it defines as small mixed waste, electrical and electronic equipment later this year.