VapeBox - The Problem
We surveyed 125 students from colleges and universities around Ireland. 55.7% of these were from TCD, our primary market.
71%
of students we surveyed said they did not know single-use vapes could be recycled.
47%
disposed of their vapes in general waste.
5.3% said they put vapes in general recycling bins.
11%
store empty vapes and plan to dispose of them when they find a suitable, affordable method – this is where we come in.
Cr: Photo submitted by a participant of their empty vape bar collection.
VapeBox is Ireland’s answer to a sustainable, eco-friendly solution for your used vapes
10 tonnes of lithium is thrown away per year. This is equivalent to batteries inside 1,200 electric vehicles*
We are a social enterprise aiming to raise awareness of the harmful effects of vaping to public health and the environment by targeting lithium battery mishandling directly at the mouth of the issue - disposable e-cigarettes and single-use vape bars. Our boxes will enable us to collect vapes, take apart the battery and casing and recycle them correctly.
The Environmental Issue
Waste electrical and electronic equipment can contain hazardous substances which, if not treated properly, could lead to damage to the environment and human health. Lithium batteries can leach into the environment if not disposed of correctly.
Our Solution
WEEE boxes and local recycling centres are unpopular with students as they are not easily accessible. Vape stores will exchange and recycle vapes, but 72.4% surveyed only buy vapes at newsagents.
We plan to tackle this by placing our boxes at prime locations with easy connections to students and young people.
We aim to directly target young people on college campuses and on nights out. After collection, we will dismantle the battery and casing.
We also plan to develop our Vape Redemption Project hub, where users can learn how their vapes are recycled by us and also raise awareness of the harmful effects of vaping.
Our Aims
VapeBox aims to connect college campuses, student accommodation, nightclubs and pubs with retailers, waste management and recycling companies to combat the harmful effects of disposable vapes on our city ecosystem.
How will we do this?
By September 2023, we aim to have:
Our app launched
Successfully trialed VapeBox with college Student Unions
Set up a network to manage the proper recycling of lithium batteries and plastic casing
thevaperedemptionproject@gmail.com