Single Use Sucks: Environment charity Groundwork launches disposable vape amnesty for students
We will be at the University of Suffolk, Waterfront Building, on Tuesday 8th October from 11am-3pm encouraging students to safely dispose of their vapes.
As students return to college and university, environmental charity Groundwork East is rolling out their Single Use Sucks campaign on campuses across East Anglia. As part of this, the charity is running a vape amnesty at the University of Suffolk on Tuesday 8th October, where students can drop used vapes into specially designated bins, with the peace of mind they will be recycled.
Because of the long-term environmental impacts of single use electronic waste such as disposable vapes, the Single Use Sucks campaign advocates for a ban on these products. Although such a ban has been put forward by the previous Government, they are still being frequently purchased and disposed of incorrectly. Our conversations with students have shown that many aren’t aware of the impacts of these products or how to safely dispose of and recycle them.
Material focus, an environmental NGO, found that 5 million disposable vapes are thrown away each week. This is equivalent to 5,000 electric vehicle batteries worth of lithium being thrown away per year. Not only is this a waste of precious natural resources, but is also toxic to the local environments and wildlife.
Disposable vapes are unsuitable for recycling with other waste as they are classed as electrical waste and there is a danger they will catch light in recycling plants. Larger retailers of disposable vapes should provide dedicated recycling bins, however, it is thought many users are unaware of how they should be recycling their vapes and where recycling facilities are located.
To find your nearest recycling facility visit: https://www.recycleyourelectricals.org.uk/electrical-recycling/
The project was made possible thanks to funding from the ‘Time After Time’ Grant Fund, led by environmental charity Hubbub and funded by Virgin Media O2. The funded projects are trialling a range of innovative solutions to the growing electrical waste problem, ensuring communities and young people are able to take action.
We are looking forward to talk to students about this issue, find out how they feel about disposable vapes, and what changes they are able to make to reduce the impact.
Jane Herbert, Project Lead, Groundwork East
Tackling vape waste is a key priority within our broader sustainability agenda, in a focus to deliver a cleaner and more responsible campus environment. This vape waste campaign enables us to address this emerging waste stream more effectively, while raising awareness and encouraging behavioural change. We are pleased to collaborate with Groundwork in pioneering this initiative, reinforcing our commitment to environmental excellence and community wellbeing.
Justine Oakes, Head of Strategic Estates Management, University of Suffolk
Single use vapes are a growing problem, and many people don’t even realise that they’re electrical waste. Students have shown that they care about e-waste as an environmental issue, so we’re delighted that Groundwork East have been able to use the funding from the Time After Time fund and Virgin Media O2 to highlight some of the alternatives and solutions.
Jack Hodgkiss, Senior Creative Partner at Hubbub