Philippine beaches littered with 188 discarded vapes in Western Visayas cleanup

DENR says discarded e-cigarettes can contain batteries, plastics, nicotine, and other materials that pose risks to marine life.

Philippine beaches are now littered with vapes, adding a new kind of waste to a problem already choking coastal communities. Discarded e-cigarettes can carry batteries, plastic components and nicotine residue, creating disposal problems that don’t end when the device stops working.

During this year’s International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), volunteers in Western Visayas picked up 188 discarded e-cigarettes from coastal areas, including 110 in Capiz, 30 in Iloilo and 26 in Guimaras.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-Western Visayas said the findings highlight the need for stronger local ordinances and dedicated systems for disposing of electronic waste.

DENR-Western Visayas officer-in-charge Regional Executive Director Ramar Niel Pascua said improper disposal can pose serious risks to the oceans and urged e-cigarette users to take responsibility for their waste.

The finding puts the spotlight on what happens to e-cigarettes after they are used, particularly when they are thrown into the waste stream or left in coastal areas.

The DENR said discarded e-cigarettes can contain single-use plastics, heavy metals, lithium-ion batteries, nicotine salts and residual e-liquid, which can pose risks to fish, sea turtles and other marine life.

The vape haul was only a fraction of what volunteers found during the cleanup.

More than 5,000 participants across Western Visayas collected 11,322.585 kilograms of waste, equivalent to 1,401 sacks. Plastic beverage bottles topped the list with 13,274 pieces, followed by food wrappers at 10,211 and cigarette butts at 9,957.

Once a vape is empty or dead, it still has to go somewhere. Without convenient collection points and proper disposal systems, that waste can end up being handled by households, waste workers and coastal communities instead.

That also puts more attention on the businesses selling these products and what happens after the sale. The environmental cost doesn’t end when a customer finishes a vape, especially when the device ends up on a beach.