Carto Recycling

[hueysds]

Ok, so I've tried refilling a dozen different ways... I've tried syringe, topping off (both batt side and non-batt side with modded condom), 10-10-10 taryn spin, etc. etc. I just can't get it to work for me. Out of all the methods, topping off with modded condom seemed to work the best but I still got to a point where the carto started leaking all over the place and made a big huge mess... It's just too much hassle for me. I've given up on the refill. I'm destined to spend as much on e-cigs as I did regular cigs. And I'm ok with that.

But my question is, is there some way to recycle the cartos? Not refilling causes a lot of waste. I just dumped all the cartos I had for the last 2 months (2-3 cartos a day, yikes!) and now that I did I feel bad about it. Seems like a lot of waste for my healthier lifestyle. I would offer to send the spent ones to somebody to rinse and reuse, but somehow that doesn't seem very hygenic to me.

Any ideas?

 

[cr12]

ive thought the same thing, i have a bunch of them i hate trashin em.

 

[AJMoore]

Don't trash them. You never know, a new method for refill may come along. More importantly, what if e cigs became illegal, wouldn't you want as many supplies as possible???

 

[critterbug]

you send them to me!

 

[gregsgirl71]

have you tried using less with the condum mod? and are you able to refill and use at all or maybe just once?

 

[jdvorr]

Ok, so I've tried refilling a dozen different ways... I've tried syringe, topping off (both batt side and non-batt side with modded condom), 10-10-10 taryn spin, etc. etc. I just can't get it to work for me. Out of all the methods, topping off with modded condom seemed to work the best but I still got to a point where the carto started leaking all over the place and made a big huge mess... It's just too much hassle for me. I've given up on the refill. I'm destined to spend as much on e-cigs as I did regular cigs. And I'm ok with that.

But my question is, is there some way to recycle the cartos? Not refilling causes a lot of waste. I just dumped all the cartos I had for the last 2 months (2-3 cartos a day, yikes!) and now that I did I feel bad about it. Seems like a lot of waste for my healthier lifestyle. I would offer to send the spent ones to somebody to rinse and reuse, but somehow that doesn't seem very hygenic to me.

Any ideas?

Anyone who tells you they are getting 30 drops in without it leaking out is full of it. I have been having the best success with around 20 drops & I spin the heck out of 'em! The carto is not big enough to handle 30 drops. I hate to see you give up on refilling.

 

[hueysds]

Don't trash them. You never know, a new method for refill may come along. More importantly, what if e cigs became illegal, wouldn't you want as many supplies as possible???

I understand that, but with an inventory of over 150 cartos (I'm stocked up for at least 3 cartos a day for 2 months and I can't seem to stop buying more with all the new flavors to try, etc. ;-)), I'm not too concerned about being able to stockpile if things go bad. Right now I'm taking the spent ones and dumping them into a bucket. I've got a fresh new bucket since I just pitched them all, just trying to figure out what I'm going to do next time the bucket is full in about a month. I would like to do something besides pitch them all.

you send them to me!

This is an option I'm cool with. I would much rather give them to somebody who has much better luck than I do with refilling than throw them away. You wouldn't mind vaping somebody else's used cartos? Not that I have cooties... ;-) I guess if you cleaned them properly it wouldn't be a big deal.

 

[RandomHero]

Anyone who tells you they are getting 30 drops in without it leaking out is full of it. I have been having the best success with around 20 drops & I spin the heck out of 'em! The carto is not big enough to handle 30 drops. I hate to see you give up on refilling.

I've gotten 30 without leaking. And I'm not full of it.

 

[hueysds]

have you tried using less with the condum mod? and are you able to refill and use at all or maybe just once?

With the condom mod I do 10 drops when I start to get that spent cartidge taste (per a post by belletrist a few weeks ago). I thought it was working awesome but inevitably sometime during day 2 the cart would spring a leak and make a mess (I'm sure I'm doing something wrong like getting a drop in the hole or something). It just seems like too much hassle for me. I just wanna grab my prefilled carts and be ready to go.

Anyone who tells you they are getting 30 drops in without it leaking out is full of it. I have been having the best success with around 20 drops & I spin the heck out of 'em! The carto is not big enough to handle 30 drops. I hate to see you give up on refilling.

I've actually had some success with getting 30 drops in with the spin, it's just that one in ten chance that I'm gonna get a bad cart afterwards. And when I get that bad cart, it's juice all in the mouth, all over the hands, all over my clothes. Just not worth it for me. I haven't given up on refilling completely. It's just going to be as it is now, once every couple weeks I will try refilling, when the refilling goes bad I will go back to prefilled.

I guess on the other side, if refilling was golden for me is there anyway to get rid of a spent cart a little more environmentally friendly? Like if I pull out all the poli could I actually dump this thing in my recycling bin? Or could the actually carts be useful for v4l? Could they take them and rip out the guts and rebuild the cartomizer inside the shell for cheaper than having brand new ones built?

*EDIT* I mean technically, even if I vape 3 cartos a day (highly unlikely, but it does happen), it's $2 a carto so $6 total which is still less than the $7/day I was spending for a pack of smokes. And $4/day at 2 cartos is much less than I was spending on smokes. So I'm not really throwing money away.

 

[critterbug]

With the condom mod I do 10 drops when I start to get that spent cartidge taste (per a post by belletrist a few weeks ago). I thought it was working awesome but inevitably sometime during day 2 the cart would spring a leak and make a mess (I'm sure I'm doing something wrong like getting a drop in the hole or something).

Hmmm. OK, so do you hold the carto at a 45 degree angle like leaford tells you to? I only get the drips when I overfill. Listen to Leaford's Lessons...

 

[jdvorr]

I've gotten 30 without leaking. And I'm not full of it.

By leak, I'm talking about a mouthful of juice when you start vaping that 30 drop cart. I can put 40 drops in a cart, but the fill can only soak up 20 give or take. The rest gets sucked out or blown out when it doesn't vape properly.

 

[critterbug]

This is an option I'm cool with. I would much rather give them to somebody who has much better luck than I do with refilling than throw them away. You wouldn't mind vaping somebody else's used cartos? Not that I have cooties... ;-) I guess if you cleaned them properly it wouldn't be a big deal.

What is it about V4Lers that makes them so nice!

I wouldn't have a problem with vaping them. I figure vapor out, not in. And anyway, even if I did (or someone else did), I have this one carto that I peeled the skin off of b/c it was covering the hole. Then I cleaned it with rubbing alcohol and that thing looks hot on my chrome batts!

Seriously, though, I was thinking "Wouldn't that be coool. I wouldn't have to wash carts a couple of times a week..." But yes, that is exactly what would happen. I would have 40 carts sitting around my computer. I would have no workspace. My fiancee had a dream the other night about my vk... because he said he sees them sitting around everywhere. I was working in bed the other day and had my laptop in my lap, stacks of papers on each side, and 3 batts and cartos sitting on his pillow. He had to move stuff to get in bed. Imagine if I something like doubled by carto collection. Could leave them sitting on both nightstands. On the dining room table. bwaaahaha

 

[henrid84]

10-10-10 sounds a bit much for a refill, maybe for a fresh blank. usually i can get 20-23 in refill. doesnt flood.

 

[keyzygirl]

critterbug,you can boil them and clean with 100proof vodka.theyd be like new!!

 

[ALC]

I have a few of those chrome cartos too. heehee!!

When I refill now I only do about 24 drops and it seems to the perfect fit for me. I think it is all about the actual drop. Sometimes you can not really tell how big the drop is INMO. If the juice is thicker it will only take about 10 drops at a time, so 3 spins no matter what. If I do over do the juice or the drops are so thick that the liquid sits on top, I finish my fill and blow out just once to remove the excess and NEVER tilt the e-cig up (think level or down). I did that once and got a mouth full of juice.

INMO, if you just do a refill with 24 drops, spin, wash cartos out every other fill, and just an extra move of refilling the night before and letting it sit you will have better luck. It doesn't hurt to give it a try at least once and you at least have a shot at saving some major $$$. I know everyone has different methods, again this is just what works for me

 

[Belletrist]

i'd def. be up for buying/paying shipping on used cartos. that said, though, if you pulled out the filling and the atty wire and pulled off the labels, they're aluminum, so you could recycle the carto shell at least.

 

[aubergine]

I almost gave up on week one. Now it's a breeze. Little stuff that I missed - REALLY tilting the cart. Leaving the .... plug in while refilling (doh). Slowing down. Blowing out any that got into the center hole. With condom method not filling the damned condom 3/4 full, and really watching the batt end for overflow - and wiping the thing off (ptooey). I'm fine w/19 drops for method one - I can always come back and top it. Now that I'm stretching one cart for so long I'm wondering to do with this MASSIVE supply of new carts I have...
Somehow I think I'll figure that out.
How long do carts last, BTW? New one as well as old ones half used on account of dislike of flavor, or dry? I really did stock up somewhat insanely...

 

[rpgman]

are you 'blowing out' after re-filling using the condom method?

I blow out the battery side first, the the mouth side next, then make sure the battery side threads are cleaned off.

I use about 19 drops and put the mouthpiece side in for re-filling. It always takes about 18 to 19 drops and I make sure I blow out BOTH sides after re-filling like I mentioned above.

mine NEVER leak.

 

[bornagainst]

What is it about V4Lers that makes them so nice!

We drink a lot.

 

[Nilius]

10-10-10 sounds a bit much for a refill, maybe for a fresh blank. usually i can get 20-23 in refill. doesnt flood.

I do 23 drops in all of my empties and then let it sit overnight before vaping. No problems with juice in my mouth.