PHILADELPHIA, PA — As new bans on disposable vapes roll out in North Carolina and the United Kingdom, a new report from PennPIRG Education Fund and PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center highlights a growing environmental crisis in Pennsylvania. According to the study released Tuesday, Pennsylvanians threw away an estimated 13.4 disposable vapes every minute in 2023 — a sharp increase from 10.6 per minute reported just a year earlier.
The report, Vape Waste 2, highlights the rapid increase in disposable vape use and the resulting waste issue. Nationwide, nearly 500,000 disposable vapes are discarded daily, up by 35 million units per year compared to 2021 figures. Modern vapes increasingly include electronic screens, Bluetooth connectivity, and even built-in video games, further complicating the waste issue.
“Manufacturers are now adding video games and wireless texting to disposable vapes. We shouldn’t build disposable electronics to begin with, and now that disposable vapes are growing more complex, each vape creates more toxic waste,” said Lucas Gutterman, director of PennPIRG Education Fund’s Designed to Last campaign and author of the report.
The environmental impact is substantial: disposable vape waste now contributes to 30 tons of discarded lithium each year — enough to produce 3,350 electric vehicle batteries. Beyond their contents, improperly disposed vapes can cause fires at recycling facilities due to their lithium-ion batteries, with damages conservatively estimated to cost up to $95 million annually.
“These vapes are full of critical minerals and are highly toxic — there’s truly no excuse to litter our communities with bits of plastic and electronics that pollute our air, soil and water,” said Faran Savitz, zero waste advocate with the PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center.
The report points to state-level bans on flavored nicotine products as effective tools to reduce vape waste and associated hazards. Massachusetts and California saw reductions of 74% and 52%, respectively, without significant black market concerns. Advocates argue that similar measures could be implemented in Pennsylvania.
“Massachusetts and California prove that vape restrictions work. North Carolina has already followed their lead — now it’s time for this framework to become policy in Pennsylvania and across the nation,” Gutterman added.
As Pennsylvania considers its next steps, the report makes clear that the unchecked rise of disposable vapes poses a growing threat to both public health and the environment — demanding swift and decisive policy action.
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