Woman claims she found one trashed vape per minute while walking

I went on a hunt for disposed vapes around my city – I found one every minute, people don’t realise how dangerous it is

• Laura Young found some 55 disposable vapes in just over an hour of walking
• The climate activist embarked on four mile journey around Dundee, Scotland 
• The devices were in ‘various states of disrepair’ and some still had light on
• READ MORE: Single-use vapes ‘harm children and the environment and should be banned’: Experts say the devices get young people hooked on nicotine and contain plastic and batteries

A climate activist laid bare the waste problem ravaging the UK after she found one trashed disposable vape per minute of walking around Dundee.

Laura Young, a Scottish influencer, embarked on the journey with her dog to see how many she would stumble upon – and after four miles and just over an hour of walking, Laura Young ended up with 55 of the devices.

They were in ‘various states of disrepair’ and some even still had the light on, with vapour still coming out.

In a Twitter thread outlining her results, Laura also warned that she didn’t rummage through the rubbish-filled foliage, and only stuck to one side of the road – meaning the real figure could be significantly higher than 55>

A climate activist laid bare the waste problem ravaging the UK as she found one trashed disposable vape per minute of walking around Dundee

The activist pointed out that she found most of the vapes ‘just off the pavement’ by the curb and has ‘personally seen people throwing them over the car window’.

‘These are electronic things that are dirty and wet,’ she remarked, pointing out that some had broken batteries while others were still intact with working lights.

‘Some scary noises and smoke coming from them,’ Laura wrote. ‘Many were wet and damaged from being outside littered.’ 

Laura also stressed, in replies to comments, that the answer lies in making more sustainable products rather than just focusing on waste management.

Laura said the vapes were in ‘various states of disrepair’ and some even still had the light on, with vapour still coming out

The Scottish influencer embarked on the journey with her dog to see how many she would stumble upon – and after four miles and just over an hour of walking, Laura Young ended up with 55 of the devices

‘The solution is refillable/rechargeable (which are more cost effective) and move away from thinking recycling will solve the problem,’ she wrote. ‘We need to be firm banning pointless wasteful products, and letting people move away from smoking in a way with no unintended consequences.’ 

In November, she and 16 other organisations signed a letter, published by Green Alliance, calling for Therese Coffey and Steve Barclay to call for a government ban on disposable vapes. 

Doctors and charities warned that disposable vapes pose a danger to children’s health and the environment and should be banned, the Daily Mail reported.

The single-use e-cigarettes are a ‘rapidly escalating threat’, according to environment and health groups who penned the open letter.

Signatories including the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, the RSPCA and the Marine Conservation Society.

The activist pointed out that she found most of the vapes ‘just off the pavement’ by the curb and has ‘personally seen people throwing them over the car window’

The cheap vapes, which come in fruity flavours that appeal to youngsters, are getting children hooked on nicotine, it is claimed.

The letter stated: ‘Uptake among young people is particularly concerning, with multiple health professionals warning that, instead of helping existing smokers to give up the habit, they could create a whole new generation hooked on nicotine.

‘The harms of vaping are, as yet, not fully established but there is concern regarding increased risk of chronic lung conditions.’

The groups also argue that disposable vapes are ‘unnecessary electrical items’ that contain single-use plastic, nicotine and batteries, all of which are ‘hazardous to the environment and wildlife when littered’.

In a Twitter thread outlining her results, Laura also warned that she didn’t rummage through the rubbish-filled foliage, and only stuck to one side of the road

About 1.3 million disposable vape devices are thrown away each week – or two every second – enough to fill 22 football pitches a year, according to research by Material Focus.

The groups say that because reusable vapes are available, banning single-use e-cigarettes would not stop public health efforts to help people quit smoking or the Government’s commitment to achieve a smoke-free generation by 2030.

Libby Peake, of the Green Alliance environmental think-tank which organised the letter, said: ‘We need to be moving towards durable and reusable products designed sustainably, not inventing new ways to cause harm to the wildlife and wasting valuable resources.’

It comes as US researchers found that people who vape are more at risk of tooth cavities.

And vaping appears to encourage decay in areas where it usually doesn’t occur, such as the bottom edges of front teeth.

A previous study, published in the journal PLOS one, compared e-cigarettes to sweets and acidic drinks.

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