Tobacco Asia

40 tobaccoasia Issue 5, 2023 September / October The Achilles heel of recyclability The Achilles heels of supposed "recyclables" are their in-built batteries. It is generally not pos- sible to detach a battery; and when it is a Li-ion cell (which most often is the case in disposables), puncturing it during any forceful disassembly at- tempt can be downright dangerous. As a consequence, disposables very common- ly end up – intact - in the mixed waste bin, and ultimately in landfills or incinerators. And that is where the Flonq Plus E has a distinct advantage, for it was designed to enable easy and safe removal of its battery cell from the casing. "This empowers users to responsibly recycle the battery in accor- dance with local regulations," pointed out Harvey. For instance, in Flonq's main market, the UK, nu- merous municipalities operate collection schemes specifically for battery recycling. There are similar initiatives in various other countries. The Flonq Plus-E's positive reception among distributors, marketing partners and customers has encouraged the UK brand to introduce further sustainability-prioritizing products in the coming months. "We aspire to become market leaders in the realm of sustainable vaping products, set- ting the benchmark for others to meet growing demand for environmentally-conscious alterna- tives," said Harvey. Why is the industry reacting so slowly? That leaves the crucial question why it took the in- dustry so long to recognize that something needed to be done against all that excess waste from dis- posables. But Innokin's Benedict Jones said that in fact the industry had realized this problem quite early on. However, manufacturers were obliged to heed consumer demand for simple, quick vaping solu- tions. Trailblazers like Innokin and Flonq luckily drive increasing awareness among consumers that things cannot continue like this. Incidentally, with more restrictive legislation on the way, manufac- turers eventually may not have any other choice but to begin hopping on the bandwagon. "Tobacco harm reduction is the biggest pub- lic good generated by the vaping industry, but there also is still so much potential for reducing the carbon and waste footprint [generated by dis- posables]," Jones said. Meanwhile, Flonq's Rob Harvey remarked that it was indeed important for regulators to introduce rules and regulations that encourage responsible practices, such as making disposables designed for recycling. "That would place the onus on manufactur- ers to prioritize sustainability in their product de- velopment," he said, adding that "companies like Flonq are paving the way for a more sustainable future within the vaping industry." NZ to Ban "Most" Disposables from November It hit international press headline like a bombshell: Starting from November 1, 2023, New Zealand will be banning most disposable vapes in an effort to control youth vaping. In addition to the ban, the country from March 2024 onward also will prohibit the sale of reusable vape devices that do not include removable or replaceable batteries. However, despite these new measures New Zealand is not going to make vaping illegal altogether. According to public health minister Dr. Ayesha Verrall, vaping devices play a significant role in helping the country achieve its target of becoming smoke-free by 2025. "We need to strike a balance between preventing young people from starting to vape while at the same time having vapes available as a cessation tool for those who genuinely want to give up smoking," she was quoted in press reports. Further regula- tions will require vaping devices to incorporate "child-safety mechanisms, like buttons that make them more difficult to use," while fanciful flavor names such as "cotton candy" and "strawberry jelly donut" will have to be re-labeled to more generic forms such as "sweet" and "berry," respectively. Also from March 2024 forward, it will be impossible to open new vape shops within a 300-meter radius from schools. Existing vape shops within that boundary could continue operating, though, as long as they "have complied with prior regulations," according to Dr. Verrall. The stylish Flonq Plus E, "the world's first fully recyclable vaping device". Credit: Alfabet Labs/Flonq

• Cover