Vapor waste becoming a true concern as vaping popularity grows

A volunteer with Surfrider Foundation, a non-profit group that picks up trash as part of its mission to protect marine environments, Mike Castellano, says vaping waste is a problem that has become progressively worse over the last six months, according to a story by Reuters.

“You reach down to pick up what you expect to be a seashell and pull up a little plastic pod with some aluminum and some oil on it,” said Castellano, a 28-year-old building supply manager who lives six blocks from the boardwalk in Asbury Park, according to the story.

While data quantifying the extent of the problem is scant, environmental campaigners are increasingly concerned about the impact of the explosive growth of e-cigarettes in the United States.

In response, groups around the country are beginning to develop measures to track the amount of vape waste found on beaches, in parks and in other public spaces.

The premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) the vapor must submit by May 12, 2020 to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires companies do an environmental assessment study and provide ways to combat e-cigarette waste.