Not‐so‐disposable e‐cigarettes: Methods young people use to discard single‐use e‐cigarettes

Abstract Background and aims To date, most tobacco product waste research focuses on cigarettes. Less is known about single‐use ‘disposable’ e‐cigarette waste, which contains several hazardous and toxic materials. This exploratory study examines self‐reported methods for discarding disposables among a national sample of US adolescents and young adults. Design, setting, participants and measurements Data were obtained from a weekly cross‐sectional survey of US residents aged 15–24 years. The analytical sample consisted of data collected from November 2022 to August 2023 from respondents who reported past‐30‐day use of disposables ( n = 1313). Weighted multinomial logistic regressions examined the association between tobacco use behaviors and respondents’ primary self‐reported method for discarding disposables (reference group: ‘throw them in the regular trash’), controlling for socio‐demographic variables. Findings Approximately half of respondents discarded their empty disposables in the regular trash (52.9%). On average, respondents reported throwing away 3.1 disposables monthly 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.83, 3.29. Second most commonly, respondents reported keeping or collecting empty disposables (21.4%). Respondents who reported 10–30 days (versus 1‐9) of past‐month vaping were more likely to primarily keep or collect disposable e‐cigarettes (relative risk reduction = 1.64, 95% CI = 1.20, 2.24) compared to discarding in the trash. Conclusions Young people in the United States who use disposable e‐cigarettes report primarily discarding their disposable e‐cigarettes in the regular trash or keeping them. All reported disposal methods raise safety and environmental concerns.