Vape Waste 2

Nothing used for a day or two should pollute our environment for hundreds of years. The nearly 500,000 disposable vapes discarded each day in America is an increase of 35 million per year than were reported two years ago in the first edition of this report. Newer models of vapes include electronic screens, Bluetooth and even video games. As a result of these enhancements, disposable vape waste now contributes to 30 tons of lithium discarded each year – the equivalent needed to produce 3,350 electric vehicle batteries.

The disconnect between federal policy and market reality reveals a system in crisis. Only 34 e-cigarette products have been authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yet disposable vapes remain ubiquitous across American brick and mortar stores and online retailers.

Key findings:

• Waste Accelerating: 5.7 disposable vapes were discarded per second in 2023, up from 4.5 per second reported in 2022.
• Fire Safety Costs: We estimate that fires in waste facilities caused by disposable vapes  incurred costs of at least $95 million each year.
• Enforcement Success: California achieved 52% reduction in disposable sales; Massachusetts eliminated 74% of disposable e-cigarette sales.
• Illegal imports: Over 90% of Chinese vape imports go unrecorded through deliberate mislabeling, with Chinese producers controlling 70 to 90% of America’s illegal vape market.
• Increasing complexity: Newer models of disposable vapes have screens, Bluetooth and games, leading to more waste per vape.

Environmental harms

Accelerating waste stream

The volume of disposable vape waste demands immediate attention. To visualize this waste: lining-up the disposable vapes sold in 2023 would stretch for 8,772 miles—long enough to span the continental United States three times and over 1,700 miles more than the data from the 2022 edition of this report. Their plastic cases will persist in our environment for hundreds of years, creating a permanent pollution legacy.

Critical resource waste

Each disposable vape represents a significant waste of finite resources. The lithium used by the batteries in the disposable vapes sold every year weighs nearly 30 tons, equivalent to the lithium needed to create batteries for 3,350 electric vehicles. Wasting critical resources such as lithium drives the need for further exaction of these minerals, including proposals to mine the deep sea. The Energy Transitions Commission in 2023 found that circular economy strategies could significantly narrow projected supply gaps for lithium by 2030. It turns out, the solution to our critical mineral gap doesn’t lie at the bottom of the ocean but is being tossed as litter onto our streets and beaches.

Ecosystem harms

“Vape pens, the battery-operated e-cigarettes that heat the fluid for vaping, contain lead and mercury that can leach into soil or sand,” said University of California at San Francisco researcher Yogi Hendlin. The same article reports beach cleanup volunteers finding disposable vapes as an increasing problem. Data from the Surfrider Foundation reveals volunteers have found a 150% increase in vapes collected during beach cleanups from 2021 to 2024.

Fire safety and economic costs

Disposable vapes pose a significant fire safety risk even for the minority of vapes that are properly collected rather than tossed as litter. The lithium-ion batteries in these devices can be damaged during normal waste handling operations, causing fires in waste and recycling facilities.

These costs reflect direct impacts including emergency response, infrastructure damage, insurance losses, operational disruptions, and increased ratepayer liability. Local governments and ratepayers ultimately bear these costs through higher taxes.

It’s difficult to estimate the costs of fires caused by the vape lithium-ion batteries (LiB) in the United States given the lack of national data and difficulty in determining the cause of explosive fires at MRFs. We estimate that fires in waste facilities caused by disposable vapes cost at least $95 million each year. More information on our model is provided in the methodology section of the full report. These fires are dangerous for MRF workers, cause expensive damage, and raise the insurance rates needed to run recycling facilities.

Design for waste

Independent teardown analysis reveals that disposable vapes are engineered for waste rather than sustainability. The same electronic components that could function for hundreds of cycles are encased in non-repairable housings, with no provision for refilling or component replacement. The lithium-ion batteries in disposable vapes are just as rechargeable as the same batteries in smart phones and laptops. However these vapes have no way to refill the nicotine or cannabis liquid (e-liquid) consumed which are encased in plastic, trapping these rechargeable batteries in a disposable product.

More waste per vape

Newer models like the Craftbox V-Play 20K Puffs Disposable shown below, have advanced electronics that are more appropriate for a portable gaming system than something designed to be disposable. But some of these products are both vapes and games. “Experience entertainment like never before with the integrated Vapentertainment system, offering three retro video games on a vibrant 1.77-inch full-color HD display,” reads the product description. “Engage in exhilarating gameplay with options including a fighter jet simulator, a Pac-Man-inspired challenge, and a Tetris-like puzzle.” Some models even have Bluetooth to allow users to send messages through their phone.

Increasing complexity and waste by including screens, Bluetooth, and games in a disposable vape is just absurd. We don’t throw out our phone after every call or replace our game systems when they need to be recharged. Why should we tolerate adding these features and waste to a disposable product?

Policy case study: the success of California and Massachusetts

Despite ineffectual federal enforcement against disposable vapes—the vast majority of which are not approved for sale in the United States, some states are taking action to stop these illegal products.

California flavor restriction

In August 2020, California passed a law prohibiting the sale of most flavored tobacco products, including flavored e-cigarettes, which went into effect on December 21, 2022. The results demonstrate both policy effectiveness and environmental benefits through consumer adaptation: “The policy reduced sales of disposable e-cigarettes by more than half, (52.2%) and prefilled cartridges by 32.1% between December 2022 and December 2023.”

Critically, the data showing that sales of disposables decreased by more than cartridges demonstrates that consumers moved toward more environmentally sustainable alternatives rather than seeking illegal disposable products. This supports the principle that people are primarily seeking the chemical (nicotine) rather than the specific form factor (disposable), indicating they would accept more environmentally sustainable refillable alternatives when disposables are unavailable.

Massachusetts flavor restriction

Results from Massachusetts reinforce this pattern. The state’s 2020 comprehensive flavor-restriction policy, resulted in disposable e-cigarette sales declining sharply (74.1%) despite the growing national sales number during this same period. This legislation was supported by public health advocates and consumer advocates including the state’s PIRG group, MASSPIRG. This shift represents a meaningful environmental impact, with less waste being tossed and fewer critical materials wasted.

Testifying in 2019 in support of the Massachusettes flavor restriction. From left to right, Dr. Laurin Smith, Tobacco Free MA, Dr. Jonathan Winickoff, pediatrician at MGH for Children, Deirdre Cummings, MASSPIRG, and Ashly Paulsen, Ast. Athletic Director in Framingham.Photo by Staff | TPIN

Addressing illegal imports

Magnitude of unauthorized imports

Data indicates that manufacturers based in China produce between 70% and 90% of the unauthorized vapes imported to the United States. FDA Commissioner Marty Makary has described the flow of unauthorized imported vapes as having serious public health implications, particularly for youth. The commissioner said the FDA has even begun confiscating “video games that are vaping devices,” referring to vapes with gaming features as described above.

It’s worth noting that in 2022, China prohibited the sale of flavored e-cigarettes within its own borders, while continuing to export these same products to international markets.

Regulatory evasion tactics

The systematic nature of evasion tactics demonstrates a coordinated effort to circumvent U.S. regulations. FDA Commissioner Makary has noted that the administration is specifically working to end the “port shopping” of incoming unauthorized vape shipments.

The deception extends to product packaging and labeling. Products are often mislabeled as “toys” or “flashlights” to evade Customs and Border Protection and Food and Drug Administration scrutiny.

Policy recommendations

Federal action needed

Immediate Comprehensive Ban: Congress should pass legislation prohibiting the manufacture, sale, and distribution of disposable vapes nationwide. The evidence from state implementations demonstrates both the feasibility and effectiveness of such policies.

Clear Federal Standards: The FDA should establish clear, enforceable standards defining prohibited products. Regulatory clarity reduces compliance costs for legitimate businesses while enabling effective enforcement against violators. Beyond sending warning letters, the FDA should step up enforcement to prevent retailers from selling unauthorized products.

State and local action

Comprehensive Coverage: State and local policies should prohibit all disposable vapes for both nicotine and cannabis, without exemptions for specific flavors, devices, or retailers. Massachusetts’ approach provides the best model for effective implementation. States should avoid registries and exceptions that replicate the loopholes in FDA enforcement policies and state polices that have allowed the illegal disposable vape market to thrive. States should increase enforcement and remove tobacco and cannabis licenses from retailers who sell illegal products.

Conclusion

The environmental harms of disposal vapes are as obvious as the efficacy of enforcement.

California and Massachusetts demonstrate that well-designed and properly enforced policies achieve dramatic reductions in the sales of these harmful products without creating black markets. Leaders who care about the dangers of foreign importers should also be concerned about how manufacturers from China are systematically evading U.S. regulations to supply unauthorized products to the American market.

We can build a future where adults who choose to vape have access to refillable, repairable devices while protecting our environment and children from engineered waste and addiction. That future requires immediate action to ban disposable vapes and enhance import and local enforcement. The time for half-measures and regulatory delays has passed. We deserve action against products that serve no helpful purpose while harming our environment, evading our national import regulations, causing fires in recycling facilities, and driving up costs for taxpayers. We can act to stop vape waste once and for all.