A new law that just went into effect in California aims to cut back on consumers tossing their used-up cannabis vape devices in the trash.
For manufacturers, it means packaging can no longer call their products “disposable” and must indicate that discarded vapes have to be treated like hazardous waste.
The root cause for the new law is the lithium-ion battery featured in most vape devices. According to SFGate, lithium-ion can cause reactions if it comes into contact with water.
“If it’s thrown in the garbage there’s actually a lot of water … it is an explosion and fire hazard risk,” said Andrew McGinty, owner and CEO Cannabis Waste Solutions.
For consumers, it likely won’t be too difficult to find a dispensary that has a cannabis vape device disposal program.
As the report points out, the new law will hopefully cut down on potentially hazardous waste and could also encourage manufacturers to pursue other materials.