EcoBreath: Reclaim, Recycle, Relieve
Basic information
Project Title
EcoBreath: Reclaim, Recycle, Relieve
Category
Reconnecting with nature
Project Description
The number of electronic cigarettes is increasing every year. Users of e-cigarettes say that if there were suitable containers for collecting used e-cigarettes, 40% of them would dispose of them properly. We want to reclaim and recycle e-cigarettes, raise public awareness about their harmfulness and increase social responsibility for this environmental issue. These points will be provided with relevant information on the value of each citizen's contribution to recycling.
Geographical Scope
Local
Project Region
Cracow, Poland
Urban or rural issues
Mainly urban
Physical or other transformations
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
EU Programme or fund
No
Description of the project
Summary
The aim of the project is to create a closed-loop ecosystem and develop a life-cycle approach for managing one-use e-cigarettes, by the installing collection containers placed in public space of Cracow University of Technology. The target groups are students and staff of our university and the local community of Krakow.
E-cigarettes are cheap, widely accessible and more socially acceptable by releasing less odours, which 'entitles' smokers to use them in many public places. The wide range of flavours makes them attractive to young people in Polish society. The challenge demands innovative solutions to reclaim and reuse e-cigarettes, by making it easier to collect e-waste and encouraging people to take a responsible approach to waste separation. We are going to install recycling bins for used e-cigarettes, starting with our university.
Specific objectives include:
Reclaiming: Establishing collection bins and recycling processes for e-cigarette components, supporting a closed-loop industrial ecosystem and a sustainable e-waste approach.
Recycling: Collecting used disposable e-cigarettes via recycling bins and reclaiming raw materials (plastics, batteries and other elements) for reuse, reducing e-waste impact.
Relieve: Spreading knowledge to promote circular economy thinking, optimizing collection and recycling methods through collaborations with universities and companies.
Future results:
- Implementation of 20 recycling bins across Krakow (8 at Our University), effective recycling of e-cigarette components, specifically batteries and plastics, reducing e-waste impact and supporting a life-cycle approach.
- Local partnership enhancing e-waste collection and recycling processes, contributing to a comprehensive small e-waste management framework.
- Raising local society awareness by integration of anti-smoking campaign with e-waste activities, ensuring ethical messaging while supporting a closed-loop industry.
E-cigarettes are cheap, widely accessible and more socially acceptable by releasing less odours, which 'entitles' smokers to use them in many public places. The wide range of flavours makes them attractive to young people in Polish society. The challenge demands innovative solutions to reclaim and reuse e-cigarettes, by making it easier to collect e-waste and encouraging people to take a responsible approach to waste separation. We are going to install recycling bins for used e-cigarettes, starting with our university.
Specific objectives include:
Reclaiming: Establishing collection bins and recycling processes for e-cigarette components, supporting a closed-loop industrial ecosystem and a sustainable e-waste approach.
Recycling: Collecting used disposable e-cigarettes via recycling bins and reclaiming raw materials (plastics, batteries and other elements) for reuse, reducing e-waste impact.
Relieve: Spreading knowledge to promote circular economy thinking, optimizing collection and recycling methods through collaborations with universities and companies.
Future results:
- Implementation of 20 recycling bins across Krakow (8 at Our University), effective recycling of e-cigarette components, specifically batteries and plastics, reducing e-waste impact and supporting a life-cycle approach.
- Local partnership enhancing e-waste collection and recycling processes, contributing to a comprehensive small e-waste management framework.
- Raising local society awareness by integration of anti-smoking campaign with e-waste activities, ensuring ethical messaging while supporting a closed-loop industry.
Key objectives for sustainability
In accordance with the principles of the "New European Bauhaus" (NEB) initiative, we are guided by the values of sustainability, pursuing closed-loop, social action and aesthetics. From the beginning of our activities in the research group, we prioritize the environment, guided by the Principles of Green Chemistry and Sustainability. We address issues that reduce the consumption of exploited non-renewable raw materials by, among other things, recovering valuable materials, while managing each reactant stream generated during the process under study. This approach is made possible by combining the knowledge and experience of people specializing in chemistry in terms of process engineering, biotechnology, energy and chemical technology. Since the beginning, the project has involved the public in the active segregation of used cigarettes, the components of which we will use to produce booths for the collection of this electro-waste. Our goal is to manage every component of a used electric cigarette, including the casing, heater, batteries and diodes, by segregating the waste and directing the individual parts for reuse. We want to bring the generated components back to "life." Specifically, we want to convert plastic materials from raw material to build more "waste sheds," recycle batteries, and return reusable components to functionality.
By using used e-cigarette parts to produce their collection points, we show how the initial waste can become a useful material. This approach encourages people to support the project by, among other things, throwing away used e-cigarettes, which in the next step will be the building blocks for more stalls. In further stages of our idea, we will aim to give the booths additional local functions that can complement the landscape of the surroundings, including parks, neighbourhoods, etc.
By using used e-cigarette parts to produce their collection points, we show how the initial waste can become a useful material. This approach encourages people to support the project by, among other things, throwing away used e-cigarettes, which in the next step will be the building blocks for more stalls. In further stages of our idea, we will aim to give the booths additional local functions that can complement the landscape of the surroundings, including parks, neighbourhoods, etc.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
Without the cooperation of the public, our project will not be possible to implement. Hence, one of our main goals is to raise people's awareness of the smoking problem by encouraging them to actively help take care of the environment. The element that will make this possible will be the booths, where you can dispose of used e-cigarettes. The booths will be made from recycled plastic waste from e-cigarettes. The booths will be an integral part of the landscape. After throwing a used e-cigarette into a booth, depending on its location, each citizen will be able to receive information how their contribution is changing environment. The booths will also encourage and educate on how to quit smoking and its impact on the environment. An additional aspect of putting up the booths is to offer the concept of transforming waste into something that will help reduce the problem. Awareness of the possibility of combating waste by creating useful products from it will help guide a similar approach in other areas as well.
Although, the public's awareness of the harmfulness of smoking tobacco products is growing every year, the awareness of how big a problem the electro-waste generated is and how big a problem it will be in the near future is low. Therefore, we set as our goal to increase people's awareness that it is in their hands whether the problem of electro-waste disposal can be solved. The unquestionable added value is the fact that placing the booths in public places, such as parks, will also be an example to the youngest generation of how to take care of the environment and how much benefit such an approach brings. In addition, the booths will be characterized by a minimalist design so that they blend in with their surroundings, thus combining social accessibility with versatility as well as applicability and ecology.
Although, the public's awareness of the harmfulness of smoking tobacco products is growing every year, the awareness of how big a problem the electro-waste generated is and how big a problem it will be in the near future is low. Therefore, we set as our goal to increase people's awareness that it is in their hands whether the problem of electro-waste disposal can be solved. The unquestionable added value is the fact that placing the booths in public places, such as parks, will also be an example to the youngest generation of how to take care of the environment and how much benefit such an approach brings. In addition, the booths will be characterized by a minimalist design so that they blend in with their surroundings, thus combining social accessibility with versatility as well as applicability and ecology.
Key objectives for inclusion
Most people still don't know how harmful cigarettes, including e-cigarettes, are to not only health as well as the environment. The problem is also that there is still such a large group of people who don't know how to recycle them. Hence, we want to introduce a local solution to a global challenge. We want to turn the problem of electro-waste generated from disposable electronic cigarettes into an opportunity presented by their management and the recycling and reuse of individual components with the full cooperation of the public. The project will be based on the public free collection of used disposable e-cigarettes, no additional fees for the disposal of hazardous waste will ensure high accessibility to the public, regardless of social status. Included is cooperation with local waste collection companies and city authorities will allow the development of a collection network initially in Krakow and then throughout Poland. With strategically placed collection containers in public spaces, it guarantees disposal and recycling options for used e-cigarettes. The presumed cooperation with companies is aimed at transferring selected waste that the companies in question handle, optimizing processes, potentially reducing costs and ensuring affordability for wider participation. The proposal we have put forward for recycling is open to all segments of society. People who use these products can participate, as well as those outside of this group, as anyone can collect e-waste on their own and drop it off at a general recycling center. The creation of an effective management system will allow the number of people taking an active part in the project to constantly expand. The strong value of the project is to support the initiatives coming from the Parliament of the European Union, but also to support an innovative approach to recycling, which will contribute to building a sustainable society. We aim to both protect the environment and encourage people to break the habit.
How Citizens benefit
he project to recycle disposable e-cigarettes and create bins for this waste with information on the harmfulness of using such devices is an initiative that aims to both improve the environment and raise public awareness of their harmful effects on health and the environment. Selecting such waste by consumers saves the additional cost of sorting garbage and enables the recycling process to benefit other industries. Starting with students at the Cracow University of Technology and expanding over time to include residents of Cracow, those involved in the collection of disposable e-cigarettes will contribute to improving the quality of life and the environment by creating a closed loop use of electronic cigarettes. In the future, while developing our project, we want to make the waste containers the beginning of a campaign to address the important topic of the widespread problem of disposing of e-waste and show how important recycling is and how much it can contribute to the lives of each citizen. An additional advantage is that each citizen will have the opportunity to actively participate in the project and have a tangible impact on changing the environment. The campaign should also draw attention to the problem with the growing number of smokers and of the teenage age.
In conclusion, the project aims to address two important issues among citizens: raising awareness of the role everyone plays in recycling, especially electro-waste and raising awareness of the harm of smoking e-cigarettes. Introducing initiatives that involve citizens and the public not only supports the goals of the project, but also creates an engaged society ready to actively participate in solving environmental and public health issues.
In conclusion, the project aims to address two important issues among citizens: raising awareness of the role everyone plays in recycling, especially electro-waste and raising awareness of the harm of smoking e-cigarettes. Introducing initiatives that involve citizens and the public not only supports the goals of the project, but also creates an engaged society ready to actively participate in solving environmental and public health issues.
Physical or other transformations
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
Innovative character
The project is an innovative combination of an initiative to manage e-waste from disposable e-cigarettes by collecting them, recycling the individual components as well as running a public awareness campaign to raise awareness of the problems and challenges of smoking and generating used e-waste, an area largely overlooked in recycling initiatives. The main focus is on the use of plastic waste to produce collection containers for used e-cigarettes, which will create a self-driven recycling mechanism. Unlike traditional e-waste, e-cigarette disposal has additional unique challenges - tracking consumption is complicated, and the situation is exacerbated by the growing number of young users. We want to work on many levels - the project aims to raise public awareness of the environmental impact of waste generated by disposable e-cigarettes, the importance of small-scale environmental activities, and the health risks of nicotine addiction, with a particular focus on raising awareness among young people. This is due to the fact that e-cigarettes are a fashionable lifestyle item, used even by people who are not addicted to nicotine due to their attractive flavours, which comes with addictive potential.
This initiative tackles the prevailing neglect of e-cigarette recycling by incorporating a circular economy approach by closing life cycle of e-cigarettes: reclaiming of used disposable e-cigarettes, recycling of materials and relieve for environment. Currently, used e-cigarettes are collected by manufacturers in their stores, individual brands allow collection outside their stores, but only used own-brand e-cigarettes, which generates difficulty relative to traditional cigarettes in disposing of the cigarette once it has been used up. Our approach is holistic, which makes the project innovative, while giving it an interdisciplinary character.
This initiative tackles the prevailing neglect of e-cigarette recycling by incorporating a circular economy approach by closing life cycle of e-cigarettes: reclaiming of used disposable e-cigarettes, recycling of materials and relieve for environment. Currently, used e-cigarettes are collected by manufacturers in their stores, individual brands allow collection outside their stores, but only used own-brand e-cigarettes, which generates difficulty relative to traditional cigarettes in disposing of the cigarette once it has been used up. Our approach is holistic, which makes the project innovative, while giving it an interdisciplinary character.
Disciplines/knowledge reflected
Our project, rooted at the Chemical Faculty of CUT, embodies a multi-disciplinary approach. The first field undertaken in the project is the scientific area of waste recycling, separation and management. In this area, we have extensive experience because, as a scientific team working at the Research University, we deal with issues that reduce the consumption of exploited non-renewable raw materials by, among other things, recovering valuable materials, while managing each reactant stream generated during the process under study. This approach is made possible by combining the knowledge and experience of those who specialize in chemistry in terms of process engineering, organic chemistry and chemical technology. The second area concerns sociology and research related to sociological issues. In connection with the work related to social campaigns and the placement of collection points, which may require the support of the student government and then neighbourhood and district councils to ensure the optimal placement of collection points and the content of information campaigns according to the target groups. We are keen to reach as wide a range of people as possible to promote active care for the environment through small, individual actions and to raise health awareness. The third area is cooperation with municipal authorities and local waste management companies. As part of the cooperation, it will be necessary to have both business and entrepreneurial expertise, as we are aware that science and industry, although complementary and sharing common goals, require separate approaches and looking for different ways to achieve this goal. These studies aim to gauge perceptions, behaviors, and attitudes towards e-cigarette disposal and recycling. This collaboration ensures an inclusive approach, integrating engineering, social sciences, and academic partnerships in our project design and implementation, in line with EU guidelines for sustainable and inclusive practices.
Methodology used
The core methodology revolves around a circular economy approach, driven by the ethos of green chemistry. Our aim is to repurpose and reuse materials, particularly targeting e-cigarette components, which often end up as neglected e-waste. By harnessing innovative recycling methods, we strive to transform these materials into new collection points, contributing to a closed-loop ecosystem.
Furthermore, our project integrates sociological aspects, recognizing the critical role of education in advocating closed-loop waste management and highlighting the harmfulness of e-cigarettes. Drawing from sociological methodologies, we're conducting extensive social studies among students, aiming to understand attitudes surrounding e-cigarette disposal. This knowledge forms the foundation for informative campaigns, fostering awareness about responsible waste management practices and the detrimental effects of e-cigarettes on the environment.
Our methodology is innovative in its interdisciplinary nature, merging the principles of green chemistry with sociological insights. By emphasizing recycling and reuse of materials and incorporating sociological education, our project epitomizes a holistic approach toward sustainable e-waste management which contributes to the high potential for both applicability and repetitiveness of our program. It aligns with the European Union's sustainability goals, paving the way for a more environmentally conscious and informed society.
Furthermore, our project integrates sociological aspects, recognizing the critical role of education in advocating closed-loop waste management and highlighting the harmfulness of e-cigarettes. Drawing from sociological methodologies, we're conducting extensive social studies among students, aiming to understand attitudes surrounding e-cigarette disposal. This knowledge forms the foundation for informative campaigns, fostering awareness about responsible waste management practices and the detrimental effects of e-cigarettes on the environment.
Our methodology is innovative in its interdisciplinary nature, merging the principles of green chemistry with sociological insights. By emphasizing recycling and reuse of materials and incorporating sociological education, our project epitomizes a holistic approach toward sustainable e-waste management which contributes to the high potential for both applicability and repetitiveness of our program. It aligns with the European Union's sustainability goals, paving the way for a more environmentally conscious and informed society.
How stakeholders are engaged
The project is primarily designed to engage citizens at the local level. The participation of students from the Cracow University of Technology in the project is crucial due to the development of our initiative. Their participation involves collecting used e-cigarettes in containers, participating in educational activities, and perhaps promoting the project on their social media. Initially, we want to focus on a small audience to expand to a larger scale over time. Local authorities will also be involved in the project, due to the fact that they will be required to approve the placement of e-cigarette containers in various parts of the city. At the regional level, all sorts of organizations could also get involved, which would further allow for greater publicity for the project and get more people involved. After all, there are many associations as well as community groups fighting for a clean environment or the fight against addiction. The project has a good chance to reach a larger group of people than just the local level. It connects all EU countries struggling with the same problem. In addition, there are no restrictions on the ability of willing people to participate. Every stratum of society can take an active part in the project. Even non-smokers can help in the collection of e-waste at their workplace and carry it to places with our bins. If the project is positively received at the local and regional level, there is a greater chance of involving companies that would take up the recycling of e-cigarettes we have developed on a larger scale. This also offers a chance to spread the idea nationwide and place recycling bins of this sort in every major city. The added values that the project brings are promoting a healthy lifestyle by making citizens aware of the harmfulness of smoking electronic cigarettes, involving the public in electro-recycling, and raising awareness that every individual can contribute to environmental protection without much effort.
Global challenges
The initiative to design collection bins for one-use e-cigarettes in local public spaces directly tackles pressing global challenges. One-use e-cigarettes contribute significantly to the mounting electronic waste crisis. As of 2023, with an estimated 90 million users globally, the potential volume of discarded e-cigarettes exacerbates this issue. By placing collection bins in public spaces and recycling the e-cigarettes for their lithium batteries and plastics, the project addresses the growing concern of e-waste pollution and induces the circular economy aspects. Recycling e-cigarette components like lithium batteries reduces the strain on resources required for their production, crucial given the industry's rapid growth. Additionally, this initiative aligns with the principles of a circular economy, inspiring similar sustainable practices globally. Placing aesthetic collection bins in public space (i.e. universities, offices, governmental buildings, community buildings) not only facilitates responsible disposal but also raises citizens’ awareness about the environmental impact of e-cigarettes. As seen in Poland, the 4th largest market for e-cigarettes in Europe in 2017, the educative aspect has the potential to influence consumer behaviour on a larger scale. Moreover, addressing e-cigarette waste locally contributes to broader global sustainability targets outlined in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly concerning responsible consumption and production (Goal 12) and climate action (Goal 13). This project demonstrates a scalable model that addresses the escalating global challenges posed by e-waste, fostering a more sustainable and environmentally conscious approach to their usage and recycling.
Learning transferred to other parties
The methodology employed in designing and implementing collection bins stands as a versatile model, adaptable to accommodate various small e-waste items beyond e-cigarettes. This approach can be adopted across European countries, utilizing the same technology to recycle materials from different electronic devices efficiently. Processes established for collection, sorting, and recycling of e-cigarette components serve as a foundational framework for handling diverse small e-waste. Standardizing these processes ensures effective recycling practices, replicable across varied locations. Partnerships and collaborations with interested companies optimize collection and recycling processes. Extending these partnerships to different European regions enhances efficiency in managing a wider range of small e-waste items. Sharing project learnings, including challenges and successful strategies, through workshops, training programs, or online resources facilitates knowledge dissemination. These resources aid groups interested in replicating similar initiatives, fostering wider adoption and impact. It's crucial to note that the collection of this waste will be linked with anti-smoking campaigns, ensuring that recycling efforts are not associated with promoting smoking in any way. This integrated approach addresses both e-waste management and public health concerns, enhancing the project's social impact. Scaling the project involves adapting technology and methodology to fit diverse European regulatory and infrastructural contexts. This adaptability ensures the project's applicability across regions, contributing to a comprehensive solution for managing small e-waste on a broader scale.
Keywords
e-cigarette
recycling
electronic waste
health
global problem
