It’s not a project for most people, but watching someone ride up to 20 miles, and up to 30 mph, on tossed-out vape batteries is transfixing.

Disposable vapes are indefensible. Many, or maybe most, of them contain rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, but manufacturers prefer to sell new ones.

To make a point about how wasteful this practice is—and to also make a pretty rad project and video—Chris Doel took 130 disposable vape batteries (the bigger “3,500 puff” types with model 20400 cells) found littered at a music festival and converted them into a 48-volt, 1,500-watt e-bike battery, one that powered an e-bike with almost no pedaling more than 20 miles. You can see the whole build and watch Doel zoom along trails on his YouTube video.

  • bluewing@lemm.eeEnglish
    193·
    2 months ago

    Perhaps it’s odd, but I have never seen anyone use a vape in public. Nor have I seen one just lying on the ground. I maybe need to get out the forest here and visit civilization for a bit again.

    • normalexit@lemmy.worldEnglish
      161·
      2 months ago

      They are super common where weed is legal. People fly into somewhere like Denver for the weekend to catch a show. Rather than buying a reusable battery, they will get a disposable vape (and probably some gummies).

      Then it ends up in the landfill or as litter. I am in favor of making these one time use electronics illegal (along with single use plastics like balloons, plastic silverware, etc… but that is another thread)

      • bluewing@lemm.eeEnglish
        31·
        2 months ago

        Yeah, I live in legal weed state. The nearest dispensary is a mere 20 miles away. I’m not even sure they sell vapes. Flower and edibles for sure, but I have no idea if they sell vapes. (I’ve never been there-- weed just ain’t my thing). But I still don’t see any used ones tossed out. Maybe we are just neater people here and don’t litter.

    • Echo Dot@feddit.ukEnglish
      12·
      2 months ago

      Go to a nightclub sometime. Discounted vapes in the outside areas are a tripping Hazard.

      • Passerby6497@lemmy.worldEnglish
        5·
        2 months ago

        Discarded vapes? The only immediate trip hazard of tripping on discounted vapes would be the mob of people trying to buy them.

      • bluewing@lemm.eeEnglish
        2·
        2 months ago

        Ain’t no night clubs within 100 miles of me. Plenty of bars, but no night clubs.

      • bluewing@lemm.eeEnglish
        1·
        2 months ago

        I had that misfortune when I was teaching math at my local school for 4 years.

    • XeroxCool@lemmy.worldEnglish
      7·
      2 months ago

      Despite the larger size and bright colors, they’re a bit more discreet than cigarettes. Most places that ban cigarettes equally ban vapes, so they’re often concealed more. That probably has a spillover effect to areas they’re allowed. They’re only activated when sucked, so, unlike a cigarette that’s burning whether you suck it or not, most people take a puff or 3 of vape and then go a few minutes without it. It’s not as obvious as a person deliberately smoking one whole cigarette.

      But maybe they’re not around you. I think the other comments covered the locations well enough, sarcasm included. But if you suddenly smell something sweet like fruit or cereal, casually take a look for someone vaping

      • bluewing@lemm.eeEnglish
        1·
        2 months ago

        Oh I’ve seen pictures of them. Just haven’t seen one in the real world nor seen one tossed on the ground. I do suspect they just aren’t popular around me. Smokers around here probably prefer real cigarettes.

        • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
          1·
          2 months ago

          Eh, my coworker alternates between cigarettes and vape, and plenty of people vape or smoke in the parking lot here.

          I’ve never seen a vape on the ground though, I think most at my office don’t use disposable vapes.

      • bluewing@lemm.eeEnglish
        2·
        2 months ago

        I probably spend more time you side than you do. I just mostly do it in a forest.

      • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        1·
        2 months ago

        I’ve never seen a discarded vape, but I’ve seen a lot of people vaping, as well as a lot of cigarettes and butts. That said, I spend almost zero time downtown, so my exposure is mostly my work parking lot and a few stores.

      • bluewing@lemm.eeEnglish
        1·
        2 months ago

        I wouldn’t claim to be all that enamored of humans as a rule. But I’m not a hermit in the classic sense.