A third of adults do not know how to properly dispose of vapes, survey finds
Coastlines Disposable On Survey Being Found 'significant Issue' Vapes Litter
One in three adults in Ireland do not know where to dispose of vapes properly, according to a new survey, as advocates urged people to keep beaches and waterways free of vape waste this summer.
It comes as recent claims point to vapes becoming a “significant litter issue” on Irish beaches.
The survey carried out by Coyne Research for ERP Ireland of 1,000 adults found a third of people incorrectly believe vapes can be disposed of in the normal refuse bin, while one in five said they put them in their domestic recycling bin.
Heading into summer, vapers are being urged to dispose of them by bringing them to any retail outlet that sells them when buying a new one, or disposing of them in the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) or battery area at civic amenity sites.
“It is clear that discarded vapes have been increasingly present in our communities and there is lack of awareness among the public on proper vape disposal,” said Junior Environment Minister Ossian Smyth.
“Correctly recycling vapes can help to move us closer towards a circular economy that reduces Ireland’s carbon impact and protects our natural resources and environment.”
Last August, the annual survey of coasts and inland waterways by the Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) group found disposable vapes were “rapidly emerging” as a common form of litter on coastlines.
“At a time when we are urgently trying to reduce plastic pollution in our oceans, the emergence of vapes is concerning,” IBAL said.
With this new call to keep such spaces free of vapes this summer, the results of this survey show an improvement on the results of the same survey the previous year, when two in three adults were unaware of the correct way to dispose of them.
An Taisce, which supports the Clean Coasts initiative, said keeping coastlines free of vapes helped keep them clean and safe for everyone to enjoy.
Its development director Sinead McCoy said: “Vape waste has become a significant litter issue on our beaches, affecting both the environment and marine life.
The survey also found the majority of vapers (92%) were aware they contain batteries, along with a 15% increase in the number of vapers who know they can dispose of them at a recycling centre.
The Government has signaled it will crack down on vapes in Ireland, with Tánaiste Micheál Martin saying earlier this year the products were being used by the tobacco industry to try to get young people “hooked” on them.
It has been reported the Government is set to ban disposable vapes in Ireland by the end of this year.