By JOHN E. WEARE, KAB
Cigarette butts hold the dubious distinction as the largest category of litter under four inches in the USA, according to Keep America Beautiful. No argument here. Conveniently placed, sometimes decorative, urns help to an extent though are far from an antidote. Litter from another nicotine delivery system has increasingly shown up within the past decade in the wake of falling smoking rates. Batteries in e-cigarette leavin’s are a whole other headache.
Just a handful of the vaping leftovers have shown up at the recycling center in recent months and we had to look twice on the first occasion to even ID the little, half crushed thing. Into the electronics bin it went. I had not given the issue much thought until listening to a pair of lawmakers during the Keep Nebraska Beautiful conference in Omaha. State Senators John Cavanaugh, District 9-Omaha, and Jana Hughes, District 24-Seward, closed out the first afternoon. Both referenced environmental involvement: Jana mentioned Natural Resources as one of her committees and noted she drives to Lincoln to recycle since the facility in Seward closed; John, also on Natural Resources, recalled tree planting with Keep Omaha Beautiful and talked a little about the way the Nebraska Environmental Trust scores applicants when awarding funds.
I found the senators’ advice helpful regarding how to reach our representatives. They said that the most important thing anybody can do is to build a relationship with our senator so they know something is up when it happens. However, the best part was a lively Q & A period as we learned about Jana’s position on e-cigarettes as “an anti-vape person”.
“Part of the problem with vape is lithium batteries,” she said. “Is there a way to make a takeback program? (We) have had landfill fires (and) see them crushed. We can do a landfill ban but we’ll see them in the ditch.”
Chris Vail, Keep Keith County Beautiful executive director, asked about infrastructure bill funding to handle vape batteries. Mona Anderson and Samantha Wheeler from Keep North Platte Beautiful mentioned the potential hazard “when you have a trash truck catch on fire by a little battery.” They crush and separate at KNPB to recycle vape waste.
David Forsell with Keep America Beautiful, in attendance after presenting earlier, asked, “How does this conversation relate to extended producer responsibility (EPR) for the batteries?”
After a few more minutes of debate on vaping, Jana said, “Starting this year manufacturers will have to register vape products with the State.”
Even if officials have a better handle on whose vaping products retailers sell in Nebraska there is still the cost of dealing with the waste whether disposed of responsibly or found on litter cleanups. Sarah Mason, coordinator at Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department (the KNB affiliate), said “There is a big cost to remove the lithium battery all of us as residents are having to pay for it in household hazardous waste.”
Alliance’s local vape shop just spruced up their building facade. Perhaps they will offer a collection system for customers to recycle. The Keep Alliance Beautiful electronics bin is just a few blocks away.