Adverts on London buses for disposable vapes have been criticised by campaigners over their environmental impact.
The “green awareness” ads for disposable vape retailer Elf Bar call on consumers to “recycle for a greener future” while promoting its latest product range of disposable vapes.
But environmental activists have accused the company of attempting to appear more environmentally friendly to try sell more of the products - while councils say they are “almost impossible” to recycle.
Anna Diski, plastics campaigner at Greenpeace UK, told the Standard: “These adverts really are just a blatant attempt to bath an environmental menace in a thin veneer of greenwash.
“The truth is these products are one of the new defining images of our single-use throwaway culture.
“What other piece of tech is designed to be thrown away so quickly? Despite any claims to the contrary, they’re close to impossible to recycle.”
Although single-use vapes can be recycled, it is extremely difficult, because they are specifically designed not to be taken apart. This means the batteries cannot be easily separated from the plastic.
Such is the difficulty of recycling the products, councils across England and Wales last month called for a total ban on environmental grounds, saying they were “almost impossible to recycle without going through special treatment”.
“Disposable vapes are fundamentally flawed in their design and inherently unsustainable products, meaning an outright ban will prove more effective than attempts to recycle more vapes,” said Cllr David Fothergill, of the Local Government Association.
Around 1.3 million single-use vapes are thrown away every week, according to research by environmental charity Material Focus, each containing a small amount of precious lithium.
Lithium is a vital component in electric car batteries, with the ten-tonnes of lithium lost every year because of thrown away disposable vapes enough to power 1,200 electric vehicles.
The batteries from incorrectly disposed vapes bursting into flames has also been blamed for a rise in bin lorry fires, with one study estimating a 62% increase in the last two years.
A TfL spokesperson said it would raise the concerns over how easily the vapes can be recycled when next discussing its advertising with the regulator, the Advertising Standards Authority, which sets the rules around how vapes can be promoted.
”TfL’s advertising policy allows adverts relating to vapes and e-cigarette products on outdoor advertising sites providing they meet the requirement of the UK Advertising Codes,” said a TfL spokesperson.
“We also work with our advertising partners to ensure any e-cigarette campaign running on our estate complies with the latest rules by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and has appropriate messaging.”
An Elf Bar spokesperson said its latest product range had been changed to allow for easier recycling.
“At Elf Bar we are committed to delivering a sustainable and environmentally responsible product that will help deliver the Government’s smoke free target,” said the spokesperson.
“This advertisement serves to drive awareness that e-cigarettes must be properly disposed of, and their components fully recycled.”
