Disposable vapes contribute to nearly $10 billion of ‘invisible’ e-waste every year

Small consumer items often not recognised as electronics, such as hairdryers, speakers and vapes – classified as ‘invisible’ electronic waste – amount to 9 billion kilograms of e-waste every year.

That’s according to the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Forum, which commissioned the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (Unitar) to calculate how much ‘invisible’ e-waste is generated every year. The lack of transparency surrounding what counts as e-waste contributes to the problem as these goods hide in plain sight. They often end up in landfills or incinerators where toxic substances can leach into soil and water sources, polluting the environment and posing health risks to humans. The recycling capacity of ‘invisible’ electronics is often overlooked as consumers are oblivious to the value of recoverable raw materials in these devices which exceeds $9 billion (£7.4 billion) a year.