Disposable Vapes
If you’re someone in the UK using disposable vapes you’re not alone. Disposable vapes are slowly becoming one of the most popular ways to quit smoking, and have seen a rise in sales over the last few years. Disposable vapes are devices that come pre-loaded with e-liquid in a pre-soaked coil and a pre-charged battery. They’re readily available in many shops in the UK, from specialised vape shops, to convenience shops, to airports, so there’s no wonder so many people are using disposable vapes. However, there’s many reasons why people are switching away from disposable vapes. A few of these reasons include the environment, the cost, reliability, and the governments prepositions.
The Environment
One of the biggest negatives when it comes to disposable vapes is their harmful impact on the environment. There’s around 5 million disposable vapes (which is the same lithium amount of 5 thousand electric cars) ending up in our landfill every week, with only 17% of vapers recycling their disposable vapes correctly. This is incredibly harmful for our planet as landfill operators claim that lithium batteries are responsible for at least 1 fire a day. This can be disastrous for our soil and water quality. Although many people are trying to recycle their disposable vapes, there are many reasons why it’s still not the best thing for the environment. Lithium batteries are designed to be recharged until their life’s end. When they’re used for disposables they’re only pre-charged a small amount and recycled early in their lifespan, using valuable energy and time to recycle.
Disposables are made using Non-recyclable plastic as it takes a lot of energy and work to separate the different materials in the recycling process making disposable vapes unsustainable.
The Cost
There’s no doubt that many people using disposable vapes can agree that it’s an expensive hobby. Most regular 600 puff disposable vapes cost around the £5 mark, and with the majority of people going through one disposable vape per day, it’s no surprise the ease-of-use is no longer outweighing the cost. Even when purchasing illegal, nicotine-filled, 3500+ puff disposables, you’re still paying mostly for the production costs, battery, and plastic casing rather than the vape liquid itself. Some people even vape more than 1 disposable a day, so the cost adds up even higher.
Reliability
Anyone that vapes disposables knows the pain of opening up a fresh disposable, only for it to not work straight out the packet. This is a frustration shared by nearly all disposable users. The problem with disposable vapes is that they’re unable to be returned or refunded, as many manufactures don’t include a warranty on their disposable vapes. This is for a few reasons. Firstly, it’s impossible to tell when someone actually opened their disposable vape as the customer could have already used all of the vapour before claiming the vape didn’t work. This harms actual customers who genuinely receive a faulty product, therefore many companies no longer offer any compensation for a faulty device.
Because disposables are produced in such large quantities at such a low quality many of them are prone to failing before they should. It’s hard to make a product with a low failure rate when you’re producing them at incredible speed with lower quality ingredients.
What do the Government have to say?
The UK government are not particularly pleased with the widespread use of disposable vapes, and especially the disposing of them. A lot of the stigma around disposable vapes come from the fact that minors are getting ahold of them. This is not because of trustworthy, specialised vape shops, but small convenience shops and other brick-and-mortar establishments that sell their products to minors just for profit. This is definitely a huge issue in the UK, however something else the government don’t like about the vaping industry is the huge amount of electric and plastic waste created by disposable vapes. This is something that’s clearly affecting our wildlife, our soil, and our water supplies. The government are looking at either banning disposable, single use, vapes altogether, or heavily increasing the price and tax on them to dissuade potential customers.
However, if you love your disposable vapes and are shocked to hear they could soon become obsolete, there’s no need to worry. There’s a new and improved way to enjoy all of your favourite disposable flavours while maintaining the small, discreet style of disposables. You don’t even need to sacrifice your favourite brands either! Pre-filled pod kits are the new “disposable” vapes, and are becoming increasingly popular with ex-smokers and disposable vape users alike.
Pre-Filled Pods
Essentially, pre-filled pods are vape pods that contain a coil and nic salt e-liquid. These pods are closed systems, which means you don’t refill it with vape juice or change the coil inside. This type of closed pod system is the same type of system found in disposable vapes. Pre-filled pods are designed to work with a rechargeable device that bares a lot of similarity to a disposable vape. You simply pod the pre-filled pod into your device and when it’s run out you replace it with a fresh pod. They’re light, convenient, and more importantly, they’re small. This makes pre-filled pod kits one of the simplest device to use on the market. They require no prior knowledge of vaping to get started with, and the only bit of “kit” you need to get started is a standard USB-C charger. There are many reasons why pre-filled pods are becoming one of the most popular ways to vape as a beginner, and why many people are jumping the step of disposables altogether.
The Environment
After discussing and seeing evidence of how destructive disposable vapes are for our environment, it’s obvious that any vape where the battery can be recharged is better for the earth. Pre-filled pods are interchangeable and are used in rechargeable devices that look similar to a disposable vapes. When you use a pre-filled, rechargeable pod kit you’re only disposing of 1 vape pod per 2ml of e-liquid. This includes a small amount of non-recyclable plastic and a small metal and cotton coil. Compared to a disposable this is much better. Per 2ml of e-liquid (one 600 puff disposable) you’re throwing away:
- A non-recyclable plastic pod
- A non-recyclable plastic outer shell
- A small metal and cotton coil
- A full lithium battery.
The impact pre-filled has on the environment is much smaller than disposable vapes. As you’re using a rechargeable pod kit you’re getting the full life out of the lithium battery. When using pre-filled pods and vape kits you’re saving a tremendous amount of waste go to landfill.
The Cost
It’s no surprise that pre-filled pods cost a lot less than disposable vapes. You’re only paying for the pod and the liquid, rather than the body and battery of a disposable vape. Each pack of 2 pre-filled pods costs only £5 in our any 5 for £25 deal, and £5.95 on their own. This means that you get double the amount of vape when using pre-filled pods than you do disposable vapes. When you’re saving half the money you usually spend then it’s a no brainer to switch to pre-filled pods. You may be wondering about the upfront cost of a rechargeable vape that uses pre-filled pods, but you’d be surprised when you hear the true cost. If you’re looking for an Elf Bar style pre-filled pod device then you’ll be happy to know Elf Bar have their very own called Elfa Pro. For a full rechargeable kit and a pre-filled pod, you only need to pay £5.99. That’s only 99p more than a disposable vape. Other brands aren’t far off that price either. This makes switching to pre-filled pods and kits much more sustainable overall, even with the small upfront cost.
Reliability
Rechargeable pre-filled pod kits that you purchase from reputable vape stores whether online or in person usually come with a warranty. This makes sure that you won’t be without your device as long as you look after it. Unlike disposable vapes, if there’s anything wrong with your rechargeable kit, you can return it to the specialist store you bought it from where the staff would be happy to either fix it or replace it for you. With rechargeable kits it’s much easier to diagnose the issue. For example, if the battery is dead you can charge it, unlike a disposable vape where if it doesn’t work then there’s no way to fix it. You don’t need to worry as much about the product not working straight from the box as there’s ways to fix it and return it if necessary.
Pre Filled Pods vs Disposable Vape Pros & Cons
|
|
Pre Filled Pods & Kits |
Disposable Vapes |
|
Cheaper to Run |
✓ |
X |
|
More Flavours |
X |
✓ |
|
Better for the Environment |
✓ |
X |
|
More Reliable |
✓ |
X |
|
All Regulated & Tested |
✓ |
X |
|
Easiest to Operate |
X |
✓ |
After reviewing all of the pros and cons when it comes to pre-filled pods and disposable vapes, popularity leans towards pre-filled pod kits. This doesn’t mean disposable vapes aren’t useful, as they’re great for people with limited mobility, and many other reasons. If you can, it’s best for our earth and your wallet to switch to rechargeable pre-filled pod kits. Companies like SKE Crystal Bar have their own pre-filled pod kit called the Crystal Plus, and Lost Mary have the Tappo kit. There are many brands that you know and love that have created pre-filled pod kits so you don’t need to worry about not staying loyal to your favourite flavours and brands. With pre-filled pods becoming more and more popular it wouldn’t surprise us if more and more disposable vape manufacturers convert their main focus to pre-filled pods rather than disposable vapes.
