A Perth chemical specialist has thrown his support behind a local study, which is trying to determine the environmental impact of vapes.

Waste Authority WA is funding the temporary e-cigarette and vape collection point at a recycling centre in Balcatta.

The service allows Perth vapers to drop-off up to ten e-cigarettes at one time for safe disposal.

According to the City of Stirling “the study will provide local governments with information on the types of e-cigarettes being disposed of, the materials they are made from and the recovery pathways for each constituent part.”

Director of Perth Chemical Specialists Reece Russell says throwing vapes in regular bins causes toxic liquids to end up in waste water streams.

“The biggest issue in terms of environmental impact is that these vapes are only used once and then they are thrown away,” he says.

“It’s quite a complex bit of technology, there’s a lot that goes into making them and a lot that goes into disposing of this single use product.”

According to VicHealth, lithium batteries contained in e-cigarettes and vapes take hundreds of years to break down and the electronic components are also highly flammable.

Mr Russell runs a disposal service, which involves dissembling the vapes and taking the components to the relevant drop off points.

“We take the toxic liquid component that contains nicotine to Cleanaway, and they blend this liquid with other pesticides, which is then converted to energy,” he says.

47-year-old Perth vaper Tania Ashwin was not previously aware of the significant environmental impact vapes and e-cigarettes have on the environment.

“It has been a month and a half since I have stopped smoking cigarettes and I’ve gone through eight vapes in that time,” she says.

The National Drug Strategy Household Survey from 2022-2023 found more people in Australia are choosing vaping over smoking as only 8.3 per cent of people were smoking tobacco daily.

The survey also found almost 50 per cent of people aged 18 to 24 have used e-cigarettes and vapes in their lifetime.

Tania Ashwin says she has been using vapes for two months, after being a longterm smoker. Video: Layne Sargeant.

Recycling Centre Balcatta will be running the vape and e-cigarette collection point until funding runs out.

“The temporary collection point is a great initiative that shows the government is taking responsibility for the correct disposal of vapes,” Mr Russell says.