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Opinion: Vape deals are everywhere this Christmas – here’s how to deal with the waste problem
Writing for The Conversation, Andrew Turner, an Associate Professor in Environmental Sciences at the University of Plymouth, discusses the impact of vaping on the environment and what can be done help mitigate the impact of vapes on the environment.
Turner writes that the increased popularity of single-use vapes has resulted in a waste-problem and points to research from Material Focus who report that 5 million vapes are being disposed weekly in the UK. These devices contain materials which are valuable and potentially hazardous if disposed of incorrectly, such as lithium and aluminium.
Turner notes that, unfortunately, many of these devices are indeed disposed incorrectly, either ending up in normal household waste or littered in public whereas they should be taken to household recycling centres or to retailer take-back schemes. In regards to take-back schemes, Turner writes that producers, importers and retailers are not “acknowledging or even understanding the problem” when it comes to properly recycling these products.
Offering solutions, Turner writes that users should be aware of the environmental harm caused by these products, especially when disposed of incorrectly. There should also be greater knowledge of and access to recycling facilities Turner adds.
Lastly, Turner writes that one solution would be the manufacturers bearing more of the cost of vape collection and recycling which could include changing to packaging and ensuring there is sufficient investment in recycling facilities.
Source: The Conversation, 19 December 2023
See also: Material Focus - Number of disposable single-use vapes thrown away have in a year quadrupled to 5 million per week | ASH - Policy options to tackle the issue of disposable (singleuse) vapes
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Thousands of illegal cigarettes seized in Manningham shops
The Bradford West Neighbourhood Policing Team said officers attended several shops in the Manningham area to conduct licensing checks.
A spokesperson said "thousands of packets of cigarettes which were illegally imported and being sold in the local area" were seized, along with "hundreds of vapes that again were being sold in the shops illegally".
"Officers were assisted by the Trading Standards tobacco sniffer dogs Pippa and Skye who located cigarettes that had been hidden inside the premises," the spokesperson added.
"Skye indicated at the wall which when moved opened a hidden cavity containing thousands of cigarettes.
Source: Telegraph and Argus, 18 December 2023
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Elf Bar and other e-cigarette makers dodged US customs and taxes after China's ban on vaping flavors
In only two years, a small, colorful vaping device called Elf Bar has become the most popular disposable e-cigarette in the world, generating billions in sales and quickly emerging as the overwhelming favorite of underage U.S. teens who vape.
Last week, U.S. authorities publicly announced the first seizure of some of the company’s products, part of an operation confiscating 1.4 million illegal, flavored e-cigarettes from China. Officials pegged the value of the items at $18 million, including brands other than Elf Bar.
But the makers of Elf Bar and other Chinese e-cigarettes have imported products worth hundreds of millions of dollars while repeatedly dodging customs and avoiding taxes and import fees, according to public records and court documents reviewed by The Associated Press.
Records show the makers of disposable vapes routinely mislabel their shipments as “battery chargers,” “flashlights” and other items, hampering efforts to block products that are driving teen vaping.
Elf Bar is the lead product of Shenzhen iMiracle, a privately held company based in Shenzhen, the sprawling Chinese manufacturing hub.
IMiracle’s parent company, Heaven Gifts, previously described how it could help customers evade import fees and taxes. Heaven Gifts’ website advertised “discreet” shipping methods to buyers, including not mentioning e-cigarettes or its company name “anywhere on the package.”
“We also mark a lower value to avoid tax,” the website stated.
FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said that agency was “committed to continuing to stem the flow of illegal e-cigarettes.”
Source: Independent, 19 December 2023
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ASH Daily News is a digest of published news on smoking-related topics. ASH is not responsible for the content of external websites. ASH does not necessarily endorse the material contained in this bulletin.
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