LET’S NOT GO TO Waste

The vaping industry is on the hunt for ways to address its environmental responsibilities following an increased focus on the disposal of single use vapes.

Words: Hannah Rhodes

Drawing attention away from the immense benefit vaping has as a cessation tool, countless organisations along with members of the public have growing concerns surrounding the impact of e-cigarette waste.

‘Disposable’ vapes have rapidly increased in popularity over the last four years with over 14 million bought every month in Great Britain according to environmental non-profit, Material Focus.

However, many users of this convenient device find themselves throwing them away in the closest bin, without knowing that the correct disposal process is a little more complex than that.

With the mission to combat the surge in discarded vapes, the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) are in discussions with several waste companies to create a recycling solution that is fit for the evolving vaping sector.

John Dunne, Director General of the UKVIA, has said: “The industry recognises its responsibilities to the environment but the recycling of vapes is not straightforward.

“It needs collaboration between adult vapers, retailers, manufacturers, the regulators and companies in the waste management sector.”

Organisations are already beginning to band together with remarkable solutions to reduce the industry’s waste footprint, starting with the key to the issue, right at the source: the vapes themselves.

Recent developments include ANDS’ benchmark-creation of recyclable single- use vapes that consist of 99 percent plus recyclable and recoverable materials meaning less than one percent of the product ends up in landfill.

The vape in question boasts a high-scoring test result carried out by specialist vape waste firm Waste Experts to verify its recyclability credentials.

‘SLIX’ disposables use high-grade cardboard to replace the plastic outer casing and pairs this with a biodegradable silicone mouthpiece and end piece.

The light, simple construction makes it 25 percent lighter, resulting in 70 percent less waste by weight compared to other vapes on the market.

Design choices means it takes 57 percent less time to deconstruct than the leading UK brands - the time saved is vital to supporting cost efficiencies in the waste management of single-use vapes.

Dr Marina Murphy, Senior Director of Scientific and Medical Affairs at ANDS, said: “This in turn helps to keep product prices competitive, creating a win-win for the environment and adult consumers.”

With talks of implementing these factors into all their products and increasing SLIX’s recyclability from 99 to 100 percent by the end of the year, ANDS hopes to achieve a zero-waste future.

In addition to improving efforts from the inside, the company is in the process of partnering with Waste Experts to create a recycling programme that will simplify the process of collection and recycling.

Nevertheless, the hill in discovering and adopting new methods of reducing the industry’s waste of disposable vapes is that of a steep one.

Those pioneering in the fight are positively reminding companies and the public why these devices are so important as a harm reduction tool.

President of ANDS, Fadi Maayta, said: “If these single-use vapes are restricted or banned over environmental fears as is being talked about in some circles –

“Smokers could lose what many believe to be a very convenient, accessible and compelling alternative to conventional cigarettes.”

QLabs – founded in 2012 –is on a mission to provide both fellow vapers and those beginning their quitting journey with high impact products and flavours.

Words: Hannah Rhodes

Have there been any crowd favourites amongst your products? Does this vary depending on where the consumer is in their quitting journey?

“Since the launch, Blue Lemonade has proved to be a massive hit, no matter the weather.

“We have something for everyone – whether you’re crazy for Candy Apple or wacky for Watermelon, we’ve got you

“Our QSalts come in a variety of different strengths: five, 10 and 20 milligrams. This makes it easier for consumers to control, limit and eradicate their nicotine cravings altogether.

“Typically, those who have just made the switch from smoking might go for a 20-milligram strength, until they’re ready to lower the strength at their own pace.

“Having multiple different strengths gives consumers more control, whilst simultaneously experiencing an intense flavour.”

QLabs claims to communicate the ‘most accurate information’ to their customers, in what ways is the company achieving this?

“We incorporated many features that create comfort and ease for our users, making their experience as relaxing as possible – this way the risk of returning to smoking is

“Whether it’s the three-mode airflow adjustment, magnetic pod connection to avoid misalignment or the USB-C fast charge, our QOne devices were designed with the consumer in

“We understand what customers want and need, therefore we’re able to consistently produce quality devices and flavours, thus providing them with products that will deter them from returning to

“With high levels of certainty, quitting success rates rocket through the roof as we continue to advise our customers with the most up-to-day information from what we’ve personally researched.”

With such a high review rate, is there any criteria that QLabs goes through when supplying to the industry?

“Creating new flavours is just as much an art, as it is a science.

“Our main priority is to create products that give consumers the highest succession rate of quitting as possible.

“We researched what customers are interested in to begin selecting a device to model these flavours around, this way ensuring that the best performance is possible from our QOne devices.

“Understanding the components of each flavour, whilst taking inspiration from other industries and nature itself, we began to blend these indulgent flavours.

“We wanted QSalts customers to want to return for more, rather than going back to smoking, increasing the chances of them stopping smoking and concluding in healthier habits.

“With a few secret touches, what we resulted in was the Unreal Flavour, simultaneously providing vapers with extended coil life without them losing flavour quality.

“Once we’re happy with a flavour, we move onto fine-tuning and daily testing by a panel of testers.

“We then spent months tweaking and altering our products to the finest level, until we finally achieved the perfect balance.”

How has the growing interest in vaping shaped the way in which you operate the company?

“It can be hard to navigate through fact and fiction, but with our knowledge and expertise, we can easily differentiate between the two.

“Government guidelines and regulations are the heart of our operations, QSalts are fully TPD compliant, and are powered by the beloved Pure Range, which was fully compliant before it legally had to be.”

What does the future hold for QOne and QSalts, are there any plans to add to your already impressive inventory?

“We are constantly adding to our collection – with new QOne colours in aqua and silver, red and black, as well as expansions to our QSalts range.

“We aim to continuously take inspiration from everything around us – whether that’s consumers’ favourite disposables or the environment.”

Words: John Dunne, Director General, UKVIA