Disposable e-cigarettes have experienced a sales boom. The disposable items met with criticism from politics and science. What about the questionable products?
According to an industry estimate, the controversial disposable e-cigarettes are losing some of their popularity with customers, but remain a mass business. The share of disposable items in the e-cigarette market is currently 30 percent, 10 percentage points lower than in 2022, said the Alliance for Tobacco-Free Enjoyment (BfTG) in Dortmund.
The proportion will continue to fall by the end of the year. This is justified by newly introduced alternatives in which only the liquid cartridge ends up in the trash and the electrical device is used multiple times. This year the trend is “towards sustainability,” said BfTG boss Dustin Dahlmann.
Criticism from environmentalists
The disposable items are completely thrown away when the liquid has evaporated – the built-in battery also becomes waste. If disposable items are incorrectly disposed of in residual waste or in the yellow bin, they can cause fires. Environmentalists also complained that using an electrical item once was a waste of resources.
The providers have now changed course somewhat; companies like Elfbar now also offer reusable versions. The basic electrical device is used several times and only the plastic cartridge (pod) that contains the liquid is thrown away. The market share of the items is already 15 percent and the trend is rising, says Dahlmann.
Warning of health risks
In addition to disposable and reusable items, there are traditional e-cigarettes in which liquids are filled – with these conventional devices, no part of the product ends up in the trash. Adding all variants together, the emerging industry continues its growth path. For this year, the BfTG forecasts e-cigarette sales in Germany of 810 million euros, 40 percent more than in 2022. In the previous year, growth was also 40 percent. The figures are based on a survey among the members of the alliance, i.e. dealers and manufacturers in Germany.
The Intertabac trade fair begins today in Dortmund, where not only tobacco companies but also numerous suppliers of e-cigarettes will be presenting themselves. Scientists warn about the health risks of the products, in which a flavored liquid often containing nicotine is vaporized and inhaled by the consumer.
Source: Stern
