Environmental protection is one of the important development directions for disposable vapes. As a disposable fast-moving consumer product, the rapid rise of disposable vapes has indeed brought about environmental pollution, such as generating a large amount of plastic waste, discarded lithium batteries and circuit boards, and even residual e-liquid being considered hazardous chemical waste.
How can disposable vape become more eco-friendly?the following measures can be taken:
1.Recycling and reuse: Establish a recycling system for vape devices and components to ensure proper handling and recycling of old devices and waste components, reducing the negative impact on the environment.
2.Reduce packaging and waste: Adopt simplified packaging designs to minimize unnecessary packaging materials. Use recyclable or biodegradable materials to reduce waste generation.
3.Choose rechargeable batteries: Use rechargeable batteries to reduce the use of disposable batteries and waste generation.
4.Promote sustainable materials: Use sustainable materials to manufacture vape devices, such as renewable plastics or metals, biodegradable plastics (PLA, PBAT, etc.), recycled plastics, and paper tubes to reduce reliance on finite resources.
5.Promote sustainable production and supply chains: Encourage vape manufacturers to adopt sustainable production methods and supply chain management, reducing resource consumption and environmental pollution.
6.Structural design, primarily modular design, is not only convenient for disassembly and recycling but also improves production efficiency, as automated lines can be quickly implemented.
The most important methods for making vapes more environmentally friendly are technological improvements in materials and structural design. “
Improving materials: The development trend of disposable vape plastic casings has been shifting from popular dual-color injection molding techniques to the use of biodegradable and environmentally-friendly materials. Key points for eco-friendly materials for vape casings are either biodegradability or recyclability.
There are already some examples of eco-friendly material vape casings, primarily using biodegradable materials such as PLA (Polylactic Acid) and paper tubes. Additionally, materials that are recyclable, such as TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) and PCR (Post-Consumer Recycled), have also started to be gradually applied.
PLA, short for Polylactic Acid, is a product of condensation of lactic acid and belongs to a type of thermoplastic aliphatic polyester. The raw material for PLA polymerization monomers comes from shell crops such as corn. PLA can biodegrade under composting conditions, making it an environmentally friendly material that is also environmentally friendly after disposal.
For example, in January 2022, e-liquid manufacturer Riot Labs announced the launch of a low-carbon disposable vape called QBAR, with a casing made from PLA plastic derived from corn starch.
In May 2022, vape company JUUL announced plans to launch biodegradable vape products globally by mid-2023, with plastic components made from innovative biodegradable materials such as PBS.
As for paper tubes, there is currently some controversy surrounding their application. Some argue that their mechanical strength and waterproof properties do not meet everyday use requirements, while others believe that the issue can be avoided through structural combinations. Overall, the application prospects of paper tubes still require further observation.
While biodegradable materials are a part of the solution, achieving large-scale use of biodegradable materials is currently challenging due to their relatively high cost and the immaturity of processing technologies.
This is where the opportunity for recyclable materials comes in. TPU, also known as thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer, is a type of elastomer that can be melted by heating and dissolved by solvents. It has excellent comprehensive properties such as high strength, toughness, wear resistance, and oil resistance, as well as good processability and recyclability.
Additionally, PC (Polycarbonate) also has the potential to shine in the trend towards environmentally friendly vapes. Well-known multinational material company Covestro has advanced technology and numerous application cases in polycarbonate recycling. For example, Covestro has cooperated with Nongfu Spring to turn recycled plastic buckets into recyclable suitcases. There are also many other application cases of PCR (Post-Consumer Recycled) materials.
In mid-January 2023, e-liquid manufacturer Riot Labs claimed to have launched the world’s first low-carbon disposable vape, which they referred to as a “carbon-negative product” with reusable components.
As global regulations on vapes are becoming stricter, the industry is entering a new era of standardized development, which demands higher requirements for product production standards, equipment, new technologies, new processes, and new materials.
eSUN, a well-known biodegradable materials company with 20 years of development history, is actively establishing friendly partnerships with companies in the industry chain to promote the green and high-quality development of the vape industry.
On January 12, eSUN publicly announced the application of biodegradable injection-molded plastics in the production of vape casings. The casings made from eSUN’s biodegradable plastics not only meet the requirements of low-carbon environmental protection but also possess advantages such as good toughness, high strength, excellent heat resistance, and strong scratch resistance. The material can be processed quickly and easily, greatly improving production efficiency. It can also meet customized requirements for transparent or various colored designs.
In addition, eSUN’s biodegradable laminating paper can be used for environmentally-friendly packaging boxes for vapes and other products. By using eSUN’s PLA laminating paper for the outer packaging box, it is possible to achieve 100% recyclability of the box while ensuring texture, product protection, and environmental considerations.
eSUN’s PLA laminating paper has excellent rigidity, is environmentally friendly, non-toxic, and biodegradable. It can come into direct contact with food. It is waterproof, oil-resistant, heat-insulating, mold-resistant, antibacterial, and breathable. It can be printed and can be combined with other eco-friendly materials to provide additional functionality.
Furthermore, eSUN’s laminating paper has obtained FSC forest certification, which means that the paper used comes from sustainably managed, legal, and responsibly harvested forest resources.
FSC forest certification is a new mechanism to promote sustainable forest management and market access for forest products. It has been widely recognized by the international community and has become a necessary condition for products to enter environmentally sensitive markets such as Europe and America. The use of environmentally friendly packaging materials will help companies overcome green trade barriers and further increase their global market share.
Modular design: Facilitating recycling and improving production efficiency
Modular design for disposable vapes has recently been implemented in a new product by a company called “Miracle.” Modular design can be seen as a consolidation and organization.
For example, the traditional composition of a disposable vape includes a mouthpiece, atomizer core, oil cotton, microporous head PCB, battery, and casing. With modular design, the composition of a disposable vape becomes an electronic drive (microporous head PCB + battery), oil chamber (atomizer core + oil cotton), and casing.
FEELM, for instance, has taken a pioneering role and presented a clear solution called the Eco series at the Paris Vape Expo. The Eco series has received multiple global design awards such as the IF Design Award and the Red Dot Award, leading the trend towards environmental protection in the disposable vape industry. The product has also been exhibited in Birmingham, UK, and Stuttgart, Germany, attracting the attention of many leaders in the European vape industry.
FEELM’s Eco series adopts an integrated product packaging design made entirely from biodegradable materials. The innovative design, with no packaging waste and integrated product, maximizes FEELM’s low-carbon environmental goals.
The Eco series aims to replace non-biodegradable materials such as plastics and silicone with eco-friendly resources on a large scale. It features recyclability, waterproofing, lightweight, durability, tear resistance, and unique texture.
The auxiliary materials used in the Eco series, such as internal supports, are made of biodegradable PLA (polylactic acid) materials, emphasizing bio-safety, rapid degradation, and environmental friendliness. Compared to traditional vape products, the Eco series reduces plastic usage by over 50% and the packaging contains no plastic whatsoever.
FEELM has previously been awarded the “Carbon Neutrality Technology Pioneer Award” for its ongoing efforts in carbon neutrality. In early May of this year, FEELM announced its carbon neutrality goals, aiming to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and have renewable energy account for 30% of its total energy consumption by 2030.
In addition to the above-mentioned methods for how can disposable vape become more eco-friendly, there are also approaches such as applying solar charging technology to vape devices, researching and developing more efficient battery technologies to reduce battery replacement frequency and waste generation, integrating air quality sensors into vape devices to monitor and alert users about the release of harmful substances, and more.
More information on vape environmental policies can be expected in future articles.
