Published 2022-11-28
Sustainability. Cigarettes versus Vapes.
By Dianature
Description
(Illustrations in Infographics were drawn by @tz1deskHYY26rLXRsbn3wqRvEzELQVpAhJ7y)
A
1. Filter is considered to trap smoke, but doesn’t really handle this task. There are 3 types of filters:
-Charcoal filters (CF)(little acceptance by consumers due to the sensory change).
-Cellulose acetate filters (CAF)(thermoplastic polymers).
-Butts(contain toxins that can leak into the soil and water (pesticides, nicotine, cotinine, tar, carcinogens, metals, ethyl -phenol, ethylene glycol, menthol and rare earth elements, constituting the so-called emerging pollutants).
2. Tobacco filter is made up of tobacco leaves that were grown, cut, dried, and chopped. The process is relatively harmless, but still, dangerous chemicals can form and be deposited on tobacco.
3. Tipping paper is recyclable.
4. Cigarette paper is made of thin paper and chemicals for controlling how fast the cigarette burns.
B
5. Aroma (for instance vanillin) transforms into chemicals called acetals when aerosolized. E-cigarette companies capitalize on this gap in regulation by offering kid-friendly flavors, such as cotton candy and gummi bear, and packaging e-liquids to look like common food items.
6. Nicotine is listed as hazardous waste. Nicotine is a neurotoxin that has been used as a pesticide and has been considered acute hazardous waste by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) since 1980. Discarded devices may leach lead, cobalt, and other substances into the environment in toxic amounts. Toxic chemicals from commercial tobacco product waste can accumulate in animals, soil, and aquatic ecosystems, leading to contaminated drinking water and foods and posing additional downstream risks to human health and the environment. For example, they can be eaten by wildlife or pets. Research has shown that even very small amounts of nicotine can be harmful or even lethal to animals.
7. Vegetable glycerin is made from vegetable oil.
8. Propylene glycol is a synthetic liquid substance, added to create artificial smoke or fog odorless and tasteless. It is considered to be not toxic, but due to research conducted in 2012 may cause asthma. Metal coils are vapored with it - an alloy of iron, chromium, and aluminum called Kantha, or a combination of nickel and chromium, nickel, tin, and lead.
9. Sucralose and ethyl maltol are added as sweeteners, and are said to be not toxic, but might form cancer-causing compounds when it's heated to the temperatures of e-cigarettes.
10. Plastic. Many vape products use plastic pods or cartridges to hold the e-juices. Plastic pods are replaced when the e-juice is used up, these are not reusable. Unfortunately, these pods cannot be recycled with other plastic waste because they contain the toxic e-liquid residue including nicotine.
11. Atomizer is made from stainless steel and glass. It can be recycled. Firstly, cotton from the inside should be removed, and then the atomizer should be put in the metal recycling bin.
12. Microscheme is the e-waste. Electronic products contain a number of toxic substances hazardous to human health, with documented risk to the brain nervous system, lungs, and kidneys as well as links to certain cancers. Toxic residues can leak and contaminate the soil, air, and water, affecting surrounding ecosystems where the local communities grow their food, hunt, and fish. The hazardous substances are also spread to other continents through the air and the sea.
13. Battery. There are 3 types of batteries:
-Lithium polymer (LiPo) batteries - cannot be removed.
-IMR batteries - can be replaced.
-Lithium-ion batteries, which can be recycled via most city recycling programs in the USA.
As batteries degrade, they can leach their chemicals into the environment. And if they are put in the garbage or trash receptacles, they pose a fire risk in waste and recycling facilities if damaged or exposed to high heat, putting workers’ safety at risk.
Trilemma explanation
Cheap vapes have quite a low cost and can be used many times, but their parts can't be replaced and recycled. Expensive vapes have high prices but can be used longer as their elements are made from more qualitative materials. Their parts can be replaced and some of them recycled. The cost of cigarettes is less than vape ones and most of their components are recyclable.
(Advertisement images were stylized with the help of AI Deep Dream Generator)
Conclusion
Vapes turned out to be less sustainable than cigarettes so far. The main advantage of vapes is their reusability. In general, smokers buy new liquids less often than packs of cigarettes, thus vapes have lower lifecycle prices. However, for the production of vapes, more resources are spent. Moreover, vapes cause hazardous waste, which is not being recycled. Also, there are many cases when they can easily burn when used improperly.
That way, if it is invented how to recycle different parts of e-cigarettes to make them less harmful to the environment and safe for use, probably vapes will win the competition with cigarettes. They may be considered as the more sustainable smoking item.
Sources
https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/products-ingredients-components/cigarettes
https://iquitplastics.com/blog/boycott-the-vape
https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/07/business/media/07adco.html