New York State is launching a pilot program to keep hazardous vaping products out of the waste stream, tackling one of the state's fastest-growing and most complex environmental issues.
Thousands of single-use vape devices are tossed in the trash or recycle bins every day in New York, and Kathryn Walker, executive director of the Center for Sustainable Materials Management, based at SUNY ESF in Syracuse, says they shouldn’t be.
"They contain batteries, plastics, and either nicotine or cannabis residues that require careful handling and disposal," Walker said.
In an ideal world, they would be disposed of as part of a county’s household hazardous waste program. But many people are unaware of the rules in their county. That’s why Walker, along with the Product Stewardship Institute in New York, are partnering to launch an e-cigarette and vaping device collection pilot program.
"In this pilot and one of the things that we need to do is make sure that collection is easy for folks that are using vapes," Walker said. "Again, it's easy to throw something in your recycling, throw something in your trash at home. That's not where these products belong. So first of all, we have to let people know through outreach and education that this is the case."
There are a number of complications. For example, Walker said there is a problem in schools, with kids throwing the items in the trash or in a toilet, so there would need to be targeted awareness there. Also, the program is working with the New York State Office of Cannabis Management to work on getting disposal bins in shops that sell the items, so individuals buying a new vaping device could drop off the old one.
To determine the most effective approach, the pilot will select five New York communities to test and evaluate different disposal strategies.
"But really increase in those communities, not only the outreach and education piece, like I said, but actually create more opportunities at both hazardous waste facilities and those retailers for collection so that we can increase the safe collection of these materials and manage the waste in a safe way," said Walker.
The program will run through August 2026. The initiative aligns with the Department of Environmental Conservation’s broader goals to recycle 85% of the state's waste stream by 2050.
