Latest news with #wastecrisis
The Independent
5 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Warning over environmental ‘vapocalypse' despite ban on disposable versions
The waste crisis driven by disposable vapes could continue after a ban comes into force as cheap new models flood the market, campaigners have warned. Shops and online retailers will be prohibited from selling single-use vapes from Sunday. The crackdown aims to curb their use among young people and reduce the litter and environmental impact. Disposable vapes are non-refillable, unable to be recharged, and are often thrown away with general waste in black bins or littered rather than being recycled. Green campaigners say vape producers have been developing new styles that are cheap but meet reusable criteria, meaning they essentially circumvent the ban. Material Focus, which advocates for circular economies, said increasingly popular 'big puff' vapes are cheaper per inhalation than disposable devices. The group also highlighted pod-based styles, some of which are rechargeable and refillable but remain cheap enough for consumers to have little incentive to reuse them. In many cases the products have a similar look, feel and price to disposable models, the campaigners said. Scott Butler, executive director of Material Focus, said: 'Without quick and extensive action, the threat of a 'vapocalypse' remains and new big puff and pod vape models are already contributing to an environmental nightmare.' He added that vape company design teams have been 'working their socks off to get new legal models on to the market' while the regulatory work was being carried out. 'To most users of these vapes, and shopkeepers even, they may not notice any difference in the old disposable vapes versus the new re-useable ones,' he said. Mr Butler said that while the ban will take some of the most environmentally wasteful products off the market, the UK may need more flexible legislation to tackle challenges around new models and waste. Hazel Cheeseman, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health, said the incoming regulation on its own 'may be insufficient'. '(The) Government cannot expect leopards to change their spots,' she said. 'If they want a vaping market with products that have minimal impact on the environment, do not appeal to teens and are safe and effective to help adult smokers quit, then further regulations are needed.' Asked on Friday whether the legislation would be enough to stop vape producers flooding the market with similar products, nature minister Mary Creagh said: 'Well let's bring in the ban first. That's what I would say.' Ms Creagh said the tobacco and vapes Bill currently progressing through Parliament will look at further restrictions on vape sales and use, as she spoke to the PA news agency ahead of a visit to Sweeop Kuusakoski's vape processing facility in Sittingbourne, Kent. 'I'm confident that my colleagues in the Department of Health will not hesitate to use those powers should what we're doing this weekend not achieve the goals,' she said. 'But I'm confident that it is already sparking a conversation among young people … getting them to ask the questions, getting them to understand that there's no such place as 'away' and that these are really difficult to recycle.' She added that most big puff vapes on the market do not have replaceable coils so they are within the scope of the ban. The Government is considering further ways to drive up levels of separately collected electrical waste including vapes as part of reforms to waste electrical and electronic equipment regulations. Under current rules, vape producers already have a legal responsibility to finance their collection for recycling. Vapes contain valuable and critical materials such as lithium and copper that are regularly binned in household waste. If littered, they can also cause fires and other damaging or toxic impacts on the environment as well as wildlife. To help drive up recycling rates, Material Focus is calling for retailers to make more collection points available as well as the launch of a major communications campaign to drive public awareness about recycling the devices. Mr Butler said: 'The majority of vapers are either unaware of where to recycle their vapes or don't have a good experience of recycling them.' John Dunne, director general of the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA), said: 'This needs joined-up action from across the waste chain and more effort needs to be done to provide consumers with disposal points at the point of use and not just point of sale.' He said that while the UKVIA works to educate consumers on sustainable vape use and recycling initiatives 'more needs to be done'. 'We would encourage the Government to launch a national consumer education which includes responsible disposal of vapes, why vaping is much less harmful than smoking, and warning of the dangers of buying non-compliant products from the black market or other irregular sellers.' Claire Shrewsbury, director of insights and innovation at the Wrap charity, said single-use vapes have been a 'huge environmental issue'. 'This ban will help remove disposable vapes while giving people a reusable option,' she added. 'And with businesses which sell vapes legally obliged to provide recycling collections, awareness of this remains limited and needs to be better communicated.'
South China Morning Post
23-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Bali bans small plastic bottles to tackle waste crisis and microplastics: ‘urgent matter'
A sweeping new ban on small plastic water bottles in Bali has triggered backlash from Indonesia 's beverage and plastics industries, even as environmental advocates hail it as a bold step toward tackling the island's growing waste crisis and microplastic contamination. Governor I Wayan Koster, who launched the Bali Clean Waste Movement last month, has framed the initiative as part of a broader campaign to make the island of 4.3 million people waste-free by 2027. The policy builds on a 2018 gubernatorial decree that banned plastic bags in supermarkets and restaurants – a move since adopted by cities like Jakarta. The new regulation, the first of its kind in Indonesia, which took effect in April, prohibits the production, distribution and sale of single-use plastic water bottles smaller than one litre. It also mandates waste segregation at the source across government offices, private businesses, markets, schools and places of worship. Speaking to reporters on April 6, Koster said that beverage producers should use glass bottles instead of plastic for their products. Bali Governor I Wayan Koster launched the Bali Clean Waste Movement last month. Photo: Handout He warned that villages failing to comply risk losing financial help and incentives, while errant businesses could face permit revocations and be publicly labelled 'not environmentally friendly' on the provincial government's social media channels.
The Guardian
16-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Global recycling rates have fallen for eighth year running, report finds
Global recycling rates are failing to keep pace with a culture focused on infinite economic growth and consumerism, with the proportion of recycled materials re-entering supply chains falling for the eighth year running, according to a new report. Only 6.9% of the 106bn tonnes of materials used annually by the global economy came from recycled sources, a 2.2 percentage point drop since 2015, researchers from the Circle Economy thinktank found. The problem is systemic, they say: the rise in consumption is even more rapid than the growth in global population, and although some companies are increasing the amount of recycled material they use, the majority ignore the issue with no apparent penalties. This means that societies generate more waste than recycling systems can handle. Even if all recyclable goods were recycled, which is unlikely as many goods are simply too difficult or costly to recycle, global recycling rates would only reach 25%, meaning that consumption must be slashed in order to tackle a growing global waste crisis. Ivonne Bojoh, chief executive of Circle Economy, said: ''Our analysis is clear: even in the ideal world, we cannot solve the triple planetary crisis by mere recycling. The much-needed systemic change requires fundamental change. 'This means unlocking circular potential in stocks like buildings and infrastructure, managing biomass sustainably and stopping sending perfectly renewable materials to landfills. 'This change doesn't happen outside ourselves. We all need to make different choices, be bold, and invest to implement circular solutions across value chains.' As many consumers can attest, recycling levels have been increasing in recent years. From 2018 to 2021, the use of recycled materials used in manufacturing has also increased by 200m tonnes, thanks to increasing awareness. But this increase has been outpaced by the growth in use of virgin materials, the researchers found. They cited figures showing that global extraction of raw materials has more than tripled in the past half century, recently reaching 100bn tonnes a year – a figure expected to rise by a further 60% by 2060, unless action is taken. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion The global per capita consumption grew from 8.4 tonnes in 1970 to 12.2 tonnes in 2020, but this increase has not been evenly distributed, with citizens of higher-income countries consuming six times as much as those from lower-income countries – 24 tonnes compared with 4 tonnes. This leads to a stark inequality, with the EU and US alone consuming more than half the world's materials despite comprising just 10% of the world's population between them. The report calls for the establishment of global circular economy targets to lower material use and energy demand alongside increasing recycling rates. It calls for the introduction of an 'International Materials Agency', along the lines of the International Energy Agency, to guide governments in measuring and monitoring sustainable resource use and circular economy progress. 'The shift to a circular economy cannot happen without the right policy environment and government action that phases out wasteful practices and promotes and supports smarter ways of meeting people's needs,' the report says.
CNA
13-05-2025
- General
- CNA
Malaysia's growing waste problem: Are incinerators the answer?
Malaysia plans to build more incinerators, including one in Batu Arang in Selangor, to tackle a looming waste crisis. But residents are pushing back, citing environmental, health, and safety concerns. With 3,500 tonnes of daily waste expected at the Batu Arang site, they are demanding transparency and safer alternatives, even as experts argue that such incinerators are necessary to manage the country's escalating waste problem.
