International Day of Zero Waste reminds us that while we should be aware of what we consume, we should be particularly cognizant of what we waste, how we can minimize it, and how to properly dispose of it. The Earth is almost entirely a closed-system, meaning that what we “throw away” has nowhere to go but here.
There are two key principles to preserving our environment. The first is “reduce, reuse, recycle.” The second, basically the first one said in a different way, is the “circular economy.” They are useful ways to think about how humanity makes, uses and disposes of stuff.
But they don’t apply to cigarette filters and electronic nicotine devices.
Why? Two big reasons.
First, there is no reasonable method to collect these things post-consumer.
Trillions of butts and billions of e-cigs enter the environment every year. No amount of beach combing will ever make a noticeable dent in these numbers, although organized cleanups are a good way to illustrate the problem.
Multiple schemes have been tried to give consumers a good way to dispose of butts and vapes, and all have failed. Part of the reason for that is there is no safe way to dispose of them. Both are toxic waste and shouldn’t enter the normal managed refuse stream. Vapes have the added complication of batteries integrated into the design, which are known to explode and cause fires. There are schools across the country with closets full of confiscated vapes because there is no way to properly get rid of them.
Second, even if we could somehow collect all the butts and used e-cigs, there is no practical way to recycle them.
Cigarette butts are made of cellulose acetate, a problematic plastic that requires more expensive recycling processes than other plastics. More importantly, they are full of carcinogens and toxins. Any product they are made into will also be full of carcinogens and toxins, not to mention the danger to those working in recycling facilities.
E-cigs are also plastic and full of toxins, with the added problem of the batteries. Separating the batteries from the plastic shell is a prerequisite to recycling, but there’s no known mechanical way to do that. Even if there was, the danger of fires makes recycling impractical.
The only solution to tobacco product waste is upstream, meaning keep them from being produced in the first place. The products they’re attached to are unnecessary, addictive and deadly.
Let’s work together to phase out the sale of tobacco products to protect both our health AND our planet.
