E-cigs and Environmentalists

[dubnluvn]

Cigarettes are the most littered item in the world. It dawned on me recently, thanks to that little tracker in my sig, that aside from all the benefits we usually talk and preach about we are also doing a great service to the environment. It can take up to 10 years or longer for a cigarette filter to decompose. On top of that, they leach all those nasty chemicals into the ground or wherever they are discarded. If I was still smoking analogs, which I would be if not for e-cigs, I would have discarded 1900+ cigarette filters that would be destined for landfills. Between my wife and I, the number over 4000 and we're only talking a couple of months. Collectively, on this board alone, that number becomes astronmical and powerful.

I'm curious if environmental activist groups have been made aware of the deep, positive impact e-cigarettes have on the physical environment? Having an ally such as that would bring more publicity and political muscle. Any thoughts?

[Cielo]

While I certainly agree with everything you just said, it has made me think about pv's.

1. What about our metal atomizers/carts? Are we able to recycle them in any way? What IS the proper way of disposing of them and old batteries?

2. Also, what about empty juice bottles or old filling that may contain some nicotine in them. Does nicotine hurt the environment when put into a landfill? Is it best we rinse them out first?

[dubnluvn]

Excellent points.

As for the batteries, I'm pretty sure the best way to dispose/recycle them is just as you would regular batteries. There is a battery recycling bin in our city hall. It would be excellent to see manufacturers and/or resellers include information on this, however.

Atomizers are metal and ceramic, both completely recyclable. I'd put mine in the recycle bin.

I'm assuming carts are fairly easily recyclable. Again, I'd like to see manufacturers include a recycling code with them to show how recyclable they are. My guess is that they have a 2 rating.

The bottles are something I've been pondering too. Again, recycling codes on the bottles or info posted on supplier's websites would be helpful. What I'd really like to see is a discount for sending in your empty and cleaned bottles back to your supplier. I reuse a lot of my bottles but I still have a handful that I don't and probably won't use any longer. It would be great to get an additional discount for having your supplier refill your old bottles.

[dubnluvn]

I'm a little surprised that no one else has any thoughts about this...

[Debbie]

JuicyVapor recycles. You get a free bottle of juice for every 10 you send them. Read the store page news:

JuicyVapor.com

Debbie

[VictoryNotVengence]

There is a recycle symbol on my PCC. weird.

[dubnluvn]

That great that JuicyVapor has a program like that. More should and we need to make the commitments of companies like that and the contributions e-cigs make on the physical environment. If nobody knows its like it doesn't exist.

[Vocalek]

Wow, you have added fuel to my arguments. The tally so far is that 16 ECF members who live in Virginia saved the commonwealth 61,490 butts to deal with in 2009. The 2009 monetary savings in smoking-related healthcare costs (@$6.27/pack) is >$19K for those 16 people.

URGENT: Residents of Virginia Please Respond

[dubnluvn]

I already posted there Vocalek! Thats exactly the thing I'm talking about.