It's no secret that disposable vape kits have soared in popularity over the past couple of years. However, as one of the main things that people like about disposable vape pens is their supposed affordability and their ability to offer vapers the opportunity to get vaping quickly with little setup.

Whether it's an Elf bar or a Geek bar or one of the hundreds of other disposable vape bars on the market today, you can't argue that they're probably the easiest vapes to use. This is where the biggest positive lies in the convenience of disposable vapes - offering the ease for smokers hoping to switch to vaping, away from harmful cigarettes. However, that certainly doesn't come without drawbacks. In this blog we will uncover the pitfalls that come with disposable vapes, as well as the benefits.

Here at Original C, we have introduced a hybrid vape kit that falls somewhere between a standard vape kit and a disposable vape. Hiit Reload is a device that can be refilled with your choice of e-liquid over 10 times. This helps to reduce the cost when compared with a fully disposable vape, whilst retaining the convenience and affordability that devices of a disposable nature can provides short-term.

Disposable vapes are defined by the nature of the battery. You cannot recharge or refill a disposable vape. They are very much a single-use product. Once the pre-filled e-liquid within the disposable vape is gone, the device is defunct and has no use - only to be discarded and to sit in a landfill for many years to come. On average, a disposable will last around 600 puffs - similar to a pack of 20 cigarettes. So, for a 20-a-day smoker, that's 365 disposables a year!

The explosion in popularity of disposable vapes came around 2020, when the world was dealing with the effects of the Covid Pandemic. Many believe that consumers wanted quick and easy means of getting their nicotine fix, with their usual vape stores being inaccessible and convenience stores bearing the brunt of serving the nation's day to day retail needs.
Since then, the disposable vape phenomenon has continued to grow. Elf bar as an example, have reported an 883% increase in sales between May 2021 and May 2022.

The Cons

1. Environmental Impact

You only need to walk the streets for a few minutes before stumbling upon disposable vape waste - whether it's packaging or an old disposable vape squashed into the pavement.

With millions of disposable vapes containing valuable metal ending up in landfill, it begs the question of how much longer we can sustain this disposable - throw away culture - especially when the climate crisis is becoming a bigger problem with every waking minute.

Vapers are reportedly discarding two disposables every second, accounting for around 10 tonnes of lithium being sent to landfill or waste incinerators every year. That's enough metal to make batteries for a shocking 1,200 electric cars!

This doesn't even take into account the plastic waste and with the onus being on reducing single-use plastic to save our oceans - the boom in disposables really isn't making much sense. Plastic can take up to 1,000 years to degrade, which means that every single disposable discarded is effectively leaving our descendants the horrible legacy of having to deal with this wasteful practice for generations to come.

2. Affordability

What might seem like an affordable solution short-term at just £6 per vape bar, actually works out to be a lot more expensive than the traditional e-cigarettes that can be re-filled and recharged. 

You can find a great example of a cost-saving solution to disposables with the Hiit RELOAD on our website. Take advantage of the convenience of a disposable vape, whilst reaping the benefits of its cost effectiveness.

*That's a huge saving of £14.50 and 4 times cheaper! 

3. Youth access

We are seeing far too many reports of young people using disposable e-cigs today. It has become too prevalent in our society with many schools and their Governers reporting that most of their students are hooked on vapes. Before the days of disposable e-cigs, this was certainly not the issue that we see it being portrayed in the media today. With our youth becoming addicted to nicotine, it presents a huge problem for generations to come - one that is replacing smoking yet still an issue that needs to be addressed.

Disposable e-cigarettes are the only product that seems to have taken the younger generations imagination with garish colours and strong flavours, the nicotine content in these products are far too high, especially for those who have never smoked a cigarette before. 

4. Unregulated products

Many disposables found in convenience stores today are in fact un-regulated. With Trading Standards ceasing thousands of illegal vapes every week, most, if not all of the ceased vape products are in fact disposable e-cigs.

5. Reusable Vape Pens

Most of the consumable parts of a traditional rechargeable and refillable vape kit can be broken down and recycled. Unlike disposables that make the recycling process very difficult, reusables present a much more sustainable solution. Whilst reusable e-cigarettes are by no means the most environmentally friendly option - they are by far more superior than the disposables on the market today with their presented issues on society (young people) and the planet.

The Pros

Now that we've covered off the cons, we can talk about the pros of disposables. 

1. Convenience 

It's hard to escape the fact that disposable vape pens are probably the most convenient and easy-to use electronic cigarette available. If you've forgotten your vaping supplies, it's all too easy to get a short-term fix from your local shop. Availability is another pro to add into the mix here - disposable vape pens are now available everywhere.

2. Helping smokers quit

Disposable e-cigs are tapping into smokers who may previously have not even entertained the idea of vaping over smoking. For those who don't want to bother with re-usable vape kits, there's no denying that disposable pens serve these customers well.

3. A steppingstone to the future...

If we look back over history, and in-particular, the history of the e-cig, it's plain to see that there is almost a circular economy in e-cigarette use and the popularity of each type of product. With the phenomenal growth in popularity of disposable devices, we can see that the appetite for vaping over smoking is considerable. With tighter regulations and more onus on the retailers and consumers for more ethical sourcing of products, we are hopeful that the future for vaping is bright.

The History of Vaping Devices

- The very first e-cigarette was invented in 1963 by a man named Herbert A Gilbert. He filed a patent for the first electronic smoking device. His invention sadly didn't get much further as he was a man before his time!

Believe it or not, the disposable vape is actually a reincarnation of the original e-cigarettes that ever came to market. Much like the original Cigalike (these are the e-cigarettes that are cigarette-like in appearance - as pictured below), which are known to be "first generation" vape devices. These e-cigarettes were the original means for smokers and would-be vapers to get their nicotine from means other than smoking a cigarette. Without this first variation, we would not be where we are today, where hundreds of millions of ex - smokers have successfully quit and switched over to vaping with reduced health implications.

- Fast forward to 2003 in China, when society is much more aware and accepting of the health risks of smoking, a Chinese pharmacist named Hon Lik developed his version of the e-cigarette after experiencing a loss of a relative due to lung cancer. His invention soon became a worldwide success with similar incarnations being launched int he UK - namely the cig-a-like.

- 1st Generation - the cig-a-like is the first variation of an e-cigarette to the UK market with its cigarette-like appearance. The first ones were entirely disposable, whilst the later versions included a battery that could be separated from the 'cartridge' - much like the pod vapes we see today.

- 2nd Generation - Refillable vape pens with clearomisers. The advance in vape technology here allowed the e-liquid market to really take hold. This opened the door to so many options in flavour and nicotine strength. This generation of e-cigarettes enabled more choice as vapers were able to make selections based on their wants and needs to improve their vaping experience for the long-term. Vapers were now able to experiment with different flavours which allowed them to remove the tobacco and/or tasting e-liquids from the equation and move on to more experimental flavours like fruits, beverages and desserts.

- 3rd Generation - Mods were very much a hobbyist type of advancement that were mainly used for direct-to-lung vaping, and not all vapers wanted to use these types of devices. If anything, a lot of vapers and would-be vapers were put off by the over-complicated modifications in this style vape kit. This generation was often accompanied with big clouds of vapour and a lot of vape-lingo that came with it!

- 4th Generation - Pod Kits were made available some years after the mod generation. This pod kit was very much a next level of e-cigarette as it gave the vaper the option of ease. As many would-be vapers were put off with the need to change coils, pod kits proved to be a game changer, allowing those who don't want the fuss, the option of a super convenient and easy-to-use electronic cigarette.

- 5th Generation - Disposable Kits came into the mix not much longer after the introduction of the pod kit. Taking convenience and ease of use to the next level, disposable e-cigarettes introduced a truly single-use and throw-away product. Disposable vape pens removed the need for e-liquid vape juice in 10 ml bottle form.  

- The future - Hybrids are expected to be the next big thing in the e-cig industry. With the growing concern of environmental issues and the cost of living, a hybrid device such as the Hiit RELOAD is a rechargeable disposable - a midway between pod kits and disposables - offering vapers the convenience, whilst also allowing them to retain the device and experiment with e-liquids.