WORLD EARTH DAY

WHAT IS EARTH DAY ?

Earth Day has been celebrated on 22 April every year since 1970, when it was first introduced, to remind us of the need to protect our planet from the environmental challenges it faces.

has been celebrated on 22 April every year since 1970, when it was first introduced, to remind us of the need to protect our planet from the environmental challenges it faces.

At Sweetch, we've decided to play an active role in protecting the environment. That's why we want to make our customers aware of the proper use of electronic cigarettes and the recycling of the waste they generate.

First, let's look at the different degrees and dissimilarities of pollution and environmental impact between the tobacco industry and the world of vaping.

POLLUTION FROM THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY

While we are all aware that the 4,500 billion cigarette butts thrown into the environment every year are a terrifying source of pollution, they represent only the tip of the iceberg.

Today, the tobacco industry is one of the most harmful to the environment.

Growing tobacco requires huge areas of land to be cultivated, often in poor countries, to the detriment of agricultural land. It is estimated that if these tobacco-growing areas were returned to food crops, it would be possible to feed between 10 and 20 million people.

Every year, 200,000 hectares of forest are destroyed to make way for tobacco production.

This translates into massive deforestation, which is not without consequences for climate change and the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This is due to tobacco leaf curing practices, most of which involve the use of charcoal, a major contributor to global warming.

This policy of monoculture leads to soil impoverishment, necessitating the overuse of fertilisers and pesticides, which in turn leads to soil and groundwater pollution.

Water resource management is a major issue for our future, in the context of global warming and exponential population growth. The production of a single cigarette requires four litres of water, i.e. eight times more than the production of a potato.

Aspire, Cyber G, Kit, Vape, Vaper

DOES VAPING CAUSE POLLUTION ?

Electronic cigarettes do have an impact on the environment, but like any recent industry, they were born and developed with these environmental issues in mind. As a result, the way it is manufactured and the recycling possibilities it offers make it a good pupil when it comes to ecology.

Unlike the polluting combustion of a conventional cigarette, vaping e-liquid releases no toxic substances into the atmosphere. Electronic cigarettes are made of plastic, metal and, above all, lithium-ion batteries.

Precious metals such as copper, nickel and cobalt are also part of the composition of any e-cig and contribute to the smooth operation of your vape equipment. Lithium batteries are energy accumulators found in many everyday devices such as computers and smartphones.

HOW TO MAKE VAPING AN ECO-FRIENDLY CHOICE ?

Another aim of Earth Day is to raise public awareness of actions that have an impact on the health of our planet.

In the case of the electronic cigarette, this means choosing sustainable equipment, making good use of your e-cig and careful recycling.

An electronic cigarette with a very low carbon footprint consists of a clearomiser with a Pyrex tank that can be filled with e-liquid, a replaceable coil, and a USB port for recharging. The best solution is to buy a complete kit that requires less packaging, to which you can add a natural plant-based e-liquid such as Curieux, with its vast flavour choice.

Remember to look after your e-cig properly and change your coil regularly to keep your equipment in good condition.

Except for disposable puffs, vape has a long-lasting nature. You can also switch to a tight draw and MTL vaping with low wattage to optimise your battery life.

Electronic cigarettes contain both pollutants and precious materials. So it's imperative to recycle your vape equipment in order to recover reusable components and avoid dumping unhealthy elements into the environment.

With over 10 million e-cigs imported into Switzerland every year, the Swiss vape sector has set up a whole recycling and recovery circuit for the waste generated by its consumption.

First, a rule of common sense. Never dispose of your electronic cigarette in the natural environment, or with your household waste. Lithium batteries, like all energy accumulators, are flammable and heavy metals, if left to waste, can cause environmental pollution.

So what should you do with your used vape equipment ?

There are several solutions available in Switzerland today :

  • You can drop them off at your recycling centre, in a container set aside for electronic waste.
  • You can return them to one of our Sweetch shops.

We have developed partnerships to ensure that electronic waste is treated in the best possible way.

So do your bit for the environment and recycle your vape equipment.

Thank you for reading,
The Sweetch team