Vape Pen Battery | LOOKAH

How to dispose of your vape pen battery

It's not just traditional cigarettes that pollute our landfills. Properly disposing of e-cigarette batteries is one of the most important things a vape user or business owner can do.

While vaping pens saves paper rolls (and trees), simply throwing the pen in the trash after you're done using it can have devastating consequences for the environment and human health.

Nicotine is hazardous waste

Nicotine, including nicotine salt, is classified as hazardous waste by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Discarded e-cigarettes containing these dangerous substances can lead to unintentional nicotine exposure. Poison control centers receive thousands of calls each year from people about exposure to e-liquid, which can be fatal to children, pets and even adults.

Improper disposal of e-cigarettes and vaping products can also harm the environment, as these chemicals can leach into soil and water and harm wildlife and people.

Lithium-ion batteries

First used in Sony camcorders in the early 1990s, lithium-ion batteries revolutionized energy storage and use. Unlike standard AAA batteries, which use zinc and manganese oxide, lithium-ion batteries use graphite and lithium cobalt to store large amounts of charge in small cells.

Because these batteries are quick and easy to charge, they are commonly used in everyday devices, including:

• Mobile phone
• Tablet computer
• Laptop
• Cameras
• Vape Pens
• Electric vehicles

Although these rechargeable batteries are highly efficient and can be used hundreds of times, they will eventually need to be replaced.

Therefore, users need to know how to dispose of them properly – be it phones, cameras or e-cigarette batteries.

The consequences of improper disposal of lithium-ion batteries

The components in lithium-ion batteries are useful in your electronic devices, but when released into the environment, they can become toxic and very dangerous. This is why hazardous waste management is so important to ensure proper disposal of batteries. The cannabis and e-cigarette industries are no different.

Consider the following:

Fire

Throwing lithium-ion batteries into normal household waste or recycling bins is one of the main causes of fires.

Picture this: you throw your vape pen into the recycling bin, thinking that plastic, glass, and metal can be recycled. The vape pen is then loaded onto a recycling truck filled with paper and cardboard.

Under pressure, heat and/or physical perforation, the electrolyte in the battery ignites and ignites all paper and cardboard (and plastic). This in turn releases toxic fumes into the air, wastes all recyclable material, destroys transport vehicles and endangers drivers.

Something similar happens when e-cigarettes end up in landfills. Batteries can catch fire or explode, burning the surrounding trash and releasing highly toxic fumes into the air. All the methane (a powerful greenhouse gas) produced is released, adding to the environmental impact of the trash.

Soil and water poisoning

Lithium-ion vape batteries contain cobalt, carbon, graphite and lithium, as well as other compounds and solvents. While these materials are less toxic than the components of alkaline batteries (mercury, cadmium and lead), they can leach into the ground and poison soil and waterways, endangering the health of nearby people and animals.

The greatest impacts on soil and water occur at the source, where lithium and cobalt are often extracted from the ground by hand.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, where much of the cobalt mining takes place, pollution is known to be associated with birth defects and respiratory problems. Child labor is often involved and, due to a lack of protective equipment, young people are exposed to these pollutants and the dangers of mining.

Lithium mining is no better and can poison local waterways and endanger aquatic life.

Unfortunately, the continued demand for lithium is leading to the opening of new mines – often in indigenous cultural sites and/or fragile ecosystems. In the long term, even deep-sea mining for lithium may be necessary, and the damage is difficult to estimate.

Battery recycling options

So we see that there are several very important reasons to support battery recycling.

Fortunately, there are numerous organizations that offer battery recycling services so you can be more environmentally friendly.

Your local pharmacy

Many pharmacies collect used disposable vaporizers and/or vape batteries as part of a zero-waste program and may even offer rewards.

GAIACA's vape pen recycling program has helped recycle over 20 million vape pens by collecting the devices and sending them to recycling centers where the parts are recovered for reuse.

Manufacturer

Many e-cigarette and vape manufacturers accept returns of batteries or devices. Find the contact details of the device manufacturer and ask if they recycle batteries and how they package them for return. When you return your Fifth Ave Green House Vape battery to us, we will make sure it is disposed of properly.

Participating retail store

Electronics retailers often accept e-waste, including batteries, for recycling. Best Buy is one example of a retail chain that offers a battery recycling program. Next time you're at your local mall, look for stores that offer this service.

Municipal waste disposal system

Municipalities use their tax money to finance local waste collection, including collection and disposal points for hazardous materials such as electronic waste and paint.

Check your local authority website or contact your local council directly to find out what services are available in your area.

Recycling Center

If you have a recycling center in your area, you can recycle used lithium batteries directly. Some recycling centers will accept goods for a small fee to cover the costs of separating, processing, and reusing hazardous components. It is important to remember that regulations may restrict shipping and recycling if residue containing cannabis oil/THC remains in the device. It is best to contact cannabis waste management companies like GAIACA to discuss appropriate disposal methods.

If none of the above methods are available

If you live hundreds of miles away from one of these drop-off points and don't want to accumulate a pile of batteries (as they could catch fire), you will have to dispose of the batteries yourself:

• Fully discharge each battery and allow it to cool.
• Soak them in cold salt water for two full weeks and cover with a safety lid.
• Wrap it in newspaper and throw it in the trash.

The purpose of this process is to render the electrolyte harmless so that the battery does not explode or catch fire. Remember that fire is a major hazard if disposed of improperly.

Footnote: Although we've primarily covered vape pens, many of the same protocols apply to disposable e-cigarettes. Treat your lithium-ion vape battery the same way you would your vape pen battery. If you have plastic e-liquid bottles (or nicotine liquid bottles) and e-cigarette boxes, you can recycle them as normal. Just make sure you rinse any residue off the bottle first.

Safe disposal option: Recycle the vape battery

We only have one environment and we must do our best to protect and preserve it.

The lithium-ion batteries in vape pens are hazardous waste and must be disposed of properly to protect the environment. To achieve this, consumers, manufacturers, pharmacies, municipalities and waste disposal companies must work together.

The easiest way to reclaim hazardous waste from vape pens is to find the right recycling option. Contact cannabis waste management experts like GAIACA to discuss available solutions in your area. If no such process is available, discharge and soak the battery for two weeks before throwing it in the trash.

While it may take some extra effort to collect the e-waste and bring it to stores, this small action can save child labor, aquatic animals and ecosystems, and ensure enough lithium to keep vape pens in production for a long time to come.