Call for national strategy to force Australian vaping industry to clean up waste

Disposable e-cigarettes. Advocates say consumers are confused about how to responsibly dispose of used products. Photograph: Blake Sharp-Wiggins/The Guardian

Campaigners are calling for a national strategy to force vape manufacturers, importers and retailers to take responsibility for the industry’s waste, given the threats it poses to the environment and human health.

Clean Up Australia says consumers are confused about how to responsibly dispose of their used products, which are variously classified as electronic waste or hazardous waste depending on where someone lives in Australia.