9-Million-Ton E-Waste From Disposable Vapes, Toys Worldwide Equates to 3 Brooklyn Bridges

Disposable vapes and toys have contributed much to our annual waste. A new report claims e-waste weighs millions of tons per year.

E-Waste From Disposable Vapes

A new analysis adds up all the small devices people frequently don't recognize as e-waste, and the figures are wild. "Invisible" e-waste is stacking up and depleting supply networks of precious materials.

Overall, vapes and other small consumer items deemed "invisible" weigh 9 billion kilograms (9 million metric tons) annually, equivalent to three Brooklyn Bridges.

The new data sheds light on frequently ignored tendencies that have developed into a global catastrophe, even though abandoned electronics and appliances have been a concern for decades. There are numerous disposable vaporizers. Devices often have changed plugs in subsequent versions, which necessitates new chargers. The Internet of Things has connected everything.

Magdalena Charytanowicz, communication manager for the charity Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Forum, stated in a press conference that consumers are frequently unaware that some things contain electronics, which results in these items not ending up in the proper [place] and is a loss.

What do we lose if we don't recycle those indiscernible electronics? According to the WEEE Forum, almost $9.5 billion of materials could have been recovered in 2019 alone, primarily iron, copper, and gold. Last year, copper-filled wires thrown away could have covered the globe 107 times. This decade, copper demand is anticipated to soar due to its importance for renewable energy, electric vehicles, and other applications.

Wasted lithium, a crucial battery mineral that the world will need in large quantities to shift to cleaner energy and transportation, happens when vapes (along with other rechargeable gadgets) end up in the garbage.

Due in large part to legislation requiring manufacturers to handle the garbage their devices generate, about 55% of e-waste is collected in Europe. Similar Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation and the recycling infrastructure required to disassemble rejected products and mine them for valuable elements ethically are lacking in many other parts of the world. Only 17 percent of electronic garbage is collected on a global scale.

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Youth Who Vape Twice Likely To Experience Chronic Stress

Meanwhile, one study claimed that young people who vape are more than twice as likely to suffer from chronic stress compared to their non-vaping peers. The study used data from the Canadian Health Measure Surveys; 115,905 participants between 15 and 30 were more likely to report experiencing extreme chronic stress. Teens who vaped were also more inclined to engage in physical activity.

It's uncertain whether vaping and stress are related. The researchers weren't sure if vaping helps people who are already stressed cope or makes anxiety worse. Or maybe it's a mix of the two, trapping the user in a cycle of stress-induced vaping and fear.