Design Life-Cycle

Anel Garcia

Candice Mitra, Christopher Rinetti 

DES 40A 001 

Professor Cogdell

November 30 2021

Puff Bar: Raw Materials

Puff Bars, flavored e-cigarettes that are manufactured in Shenzhen, China, were first created in 2019 after the rise of JUUL e-cigarettes. Puff Bars are often compared to JUUL, however Puff Bars popularity comes from its wide variety of flavors and being marketed as “disposable” (“What are Puff Bars?”). Puff Bars are designed to have a set amount of puffs and battery life, they are not rechargeable or refillable like JUULs, instead they are so-called disposable. While they are marketed as disposable, they are definitely not eco-friendly. Specifically, “The heavy metals like lead and nickel in e-cigarettes, as well as nicotine, can leak, which may qualify e-cigarettes as both e-waste and biohazard waste. For an e-cigarette like Puff Bar to be marketed as disposable with only minimal disposal instructions intensifies environmental concerns,” (“What are Puff Bars?”).  The raw materials used to manufacture Puff Bars include: polycarbonates, medical grade cotton, 280mAh battery, vegetable glycerin, propylene glycol, and nicotine (Western). Puff Bars had quickly risen in popularity in 2019, however the company suspended sales in the United States in mid-2020 (Wolfe). This event came after the FDA issued a warning to the company to remove their products from the market as “...they do not have the required premarket authorization,” (“FDA Notifies COmpanies…”). When looking at the life cycle of Puff Bars, specifically when looking at the raw materials, it is clear that the ban on Puff Bars in the United States of America will have benefits both towards the health of impressionable young smokers and the environment. 

When looking at the raw materials of Puff Bars, it is reasonable to first look at the materials used to make the exterior of the product, in this case being polycarbonate plastic. Polycarbonates are widely used and can be found in everyday products such as eyeglasses, auto parts, and DVDs (“What Is Polycarbonate?”). The reason for polycarbonate's common usage is due to it being “...a naturally transparent amorphous thermoplastic..” as well as its ability “...to withstand impacts far greater than many other commonly used plastics,” (“What Is Polycarbonate?”). Some have argued that polycarbonates are more environmentally friendly than other plastics as it is easily recycled and “...is also considerably less toxic than many other plastics,” (“What Is Polycarbonate?”). However, the production of polycarbonates has its downsides, including “...the toxicity of phosgene…and the large quantity of waste water containing methylene chloride which must be treated,”(“Polycarbonate (PC)...”).  Additionally, it is widely known that plastics in general cause many problems for the environment, unlike organic materials plastics, they are not biodegradable (Nelson). Additionally, many e-cigarette components “...cannot be recycled with other plastic waste because they contain the toxic e-liquid residue including nicotine, which is hazardous waste,” (Nelson). For this reason, any type of e-cigarette, including Puff Bars, should not be simply thrown into the garbage but should instead be taken to hazardous waste facilities (Nelson). With Puff Bars being marketed as disposable and single-use, this gives buyers an misguided idea of how to dispose of their Puff Bars, and the wrong disposal of its materials can lead to detrimental effects on the environment.

Another notable material involved when manufacturing Puff Bars is the battery component. It has been stated that Puff Bars run on a standard 280mAh lithium-ion battery that has enough battery life for around 200 puffs, equalling to about 20 cigarettes (FLOW CLUB). While single-use batteries “...store much more energy and last significantly longer than rechargeables… they’re anything but environmentally friendly…” (Woodford). Puff Bars use lithium-ion batteries which “.. can store about twice as much energy as traditional NiCd rechargeables, work at higher voltages… but don’t last long,” (Woodford). The major raw materials used to make lithium-ion batteries are lithium, cobalt, and nickel, each acquired through mining which have “...destructive impacts on ecosystems and communities,” (“Fact Sheet…”). Specifically, “hard-rock lithium mining in Western Australia is currently the largest source of production today,” (“Fact Sheet…”). Thus, the 280mAh lithium-ion battery required to make Puff Bars can have long lasting effects on the environment.

An additional material used to make Puff Bars is medical grade cotton. The cotton is necessary in the vaping process, specifically as it absorbs the e-liquid and prevents the e-liquid from dripping into one's mouth while they are vaping (Durand). The benefits of using cotton in vaping products include it being inexpensive, easy to work with, neutral flavor, and ideal for absorbing e-liquid (Durand). Puff Bars explicitly use medical grade cotton, which is cotton that has gone through a certain purification process making it more absorbent and removed of pesticides (“Are Cotton Balls…”). However, the production of cotton has its drawbacks. Specifically, “Cotton cultivation is responsible for 25% of all chemical pesticides used on American crops,” (“Cotton”). On the other hand, there has begun a slight switch to growing organic cotton and while it does not yield as much non-organic cotton, it helps reduce the use of pesticides, (“Cotton”). Nonetheless, Puff Bars only use a small amount of medical grade cotton in each bar.

The remaining raw materials used to produce Puff Bars include the ingredients that make up the e-liquid or vape juice. The purpose of e-cigarettes is to heat the vape juice into a vapor that can then be inhaled, and more often than not this vape juice contains nicotine (Strum). Additionally, “Propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin are the most common base fluids, but e-liquids sometimes contain a combination of the two… Vegetable glycerin is a colorless or brown liquid that is sweet-tasting,” (Strum). Vegetable glycerin is produced by “...heating triglyceride-rich vegetable fats- such as palm, soy and coconut oils- under pressure or together with a strong alkali, such as lye. This causes the glycerin to split away from the fatty acids and mix together with water, forming an odorless, sweet-tasting, syrup-like liquid,” (Petre). In addition to both propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin, the e-liquid in Puff Bars contain nicotine “...the primary addictive ingredient in tobacco and is known to encourage addiction and abuse,” (Strum). Specifically, Puff Bars use synthetic nicotine rather than nicotine derived from tobacco, (“What You Need To Know…”).  Finding the raw materials that are used to manufacture synthetic nicotine has been difficult as “the companies who produce synthetic nicotine keep their processes and raw materials close to their chest, for  monetary reasons…” (“Synthetic Nicotine…”). The e-liquid also contains flavorings, and “one study suggests that flavorings in e-cigarettes can even alter lung function by preventing cells from healing and dividing,” (Strum). These are the same flavors that Puff Bars use to promote and advertise their products, specifically by advertising brightly colored, fruity, sweet, and candy-like flavors. This advertising tactic has been known to specifically cater to young audiences and encourage younger people to smoke as Puff Bar flavors cater to their specific taste buds. To conclude, the materials used to produce the vape juice include propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, flavorings, and synthetic nicotine. 

In conclusion, the materials that make up Puff Bars include polycarbonates, lithium-ion battery, medical grade cotton, vegetable glycerin, propylene glycol, and nicotine. The process of acquiring these raw materials can definitely be considered wasteful and costly, especially for a product that encourages addiction and can cause a multitude of health issues with frequent use. However, fortunately Puff Bars are no longer currently available to be purchased in the United States due to a ban by the FDA. 

Bibliography

“Are Cotton Balls and Medical Balls the Same?” Richmond Dental & Medical, 8 Feb. 2018, 

https://richmonddental.net/library/cotton-balls-medical-balls/.

“Cotton.” How Products Are Made, http://www.madehow.com/Volume-6/Cotton.html. 

Durand, Audrey. “Why It Is Important to Get the Best Cotton for Vaping.” VaporFi, 11 Mar. 2020, 

https://www.vaporfi.com/blog/why-it-is-important-to-get-the-best-cotton-for-vaping/. 

“Fact Sheet: Battery Minerals for the Clean Energy Transition.” Earthworks, 29 June 2020, 

https://earthworks.org/fact-sheet-battery-minerals-for-the-clean-energy-transition/. 

“FDA Notifies Companies, Including Puff Bar, to Remove Flavored Disposable e-Cigarettes and 

Youth-Appealing e-Liquids from Market for Not Having Required Authorization.” U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, 20 July 2020, https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-notifies-companies-including-puff-bar-remove-flavored-disposable-e-cigarettes-and-youth. 

FLOW CLUB. “Know Your Enemy: Puff Bars (Q&A).” FLOW, FLOW, 4 Feb. 2020, 

https://en.flowclub.com/blogs/news/know-your-enemy-puff-bars-q-a#:~:text=3.,Bar%20is%20a%

20standard%20280mAh. 

Nelson, Kathryn. “Vape: Single-Use Plastic, Hazardous, Non-Recyclable e-Waste.” I Quit 

Plastics, I Quit Plastics, 27 Apr. 2021, https://iquitplastics.com/blog/boycott-the-vape.

Petre, Alina. “What Is Vegetable Glycerin? Uses, Benefits and Side Effects.” Healthline, Healthline 

Media, 19 Dec. 2018, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vegetable-glycerin#uses. 

“Polycarbonate (PC) – Manufacturing Process of PC :” Guichon Valves RSS, 

http://guichon-valves.com/faqs/polycarbonate-pc-manufacturing-process-of-pc/. 

Strum, Jonathan. “Is Vegetable Glycerin Safe to Vape?” The Recovery Village Drug and Alcohol 

Rehab, The Recovery Village Drug and Alcohol Rehab, 20 May 2021, 

https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/drug-addiction/news/vegetable-glycerin-safe-vape/.

“Synthetic Nicotine - What Is It, Who Makes It, & Why.” DIY OR DIE Vaping, 26 Sept. 2020, 

https://diyordievaping.com/2020/09/26/synthetic-nicotine-what-is-it-who-makes-it-why/. 

Western, Dan. “Puff Bars Guide: Everything You Need to Know.” Vaping Gorilla, 24 July 2021, 

https://vapinggorilla.com/puff-bars-guide/.

“What Are Puff Bars?” Truth Initiative, 31 Jan. 2020, 

https://truthinitiative.org/research-resources/emerging-tobacco-products/what-are-puff-bars. 

“What Is Polycarbonate?” Polycarbonate Facts - A&C Plastics, 

https://www.acplasticsinc.com/informationcenter/r/what-is-polycarbonate. 

“What You Need to Know about New Synthetic Nicotine Products.” Truth Initiative, 6 Aug. 2021, 

https://truthinitiative.org/research-resources/harmful-effects-tobacco/what-you-need-know-about-

new-synthetic-nicotine-products. 

Wolfe, Eli. “Controversial e-Cigarette Company Puff Bar Says It's Suspending U.S. Sales.” FairWarning, 

15 July 2020, https://www.fairwarning.org/2020/07/e-cigarette-company-suspends-sales/. 

Woodford, Chris. “How Do Batteries Work? A Simple Introduction.” Explain That Stuff, 10 Oct. 2021, 

https://www.explainthatstuff.com/batteries.html. 

 Candice Mitra

Anel Garcia & Christopher Rinetti

DES 040A

Professor Cogdell

Energy in the Production of Puff Bars

I.              Introduction

Puff Bars are America’s leading innovator in disposable vape devices. These colorful flavored e-cigarettes appealed largely to youth and eventually enacted an explosive battle against the manufacturing and marketing of the product. While the Puff Bar takes on the general appearance of the popular JUUL, they are designed for a one-time use and come in many different flavors like Cool Mint, Lush Ice, and Lychee Ice. The product comes pre-charged and pre-filled, so once the vapor runs out, it can no longer be refilled (Truth Initiative). Because this product is disposable, the body of a Puff Bar is made of single use plastics. The device is powered by pre-charged lithium batteries, and cotton is soaked in the nicotine vapor liquid. The energy that goes into the life cycle of this product primarily exists in the production of the materials that go into the product. The production of single use plastics, lithium batteries, cotton, and “e-liquid” that go into Puff Bars as well as the distribution of the product constitute the energy that goes into the life cycle of a Puff Bar.

II.            Energy in the Acquisition and Production of Materials

Puff Bars are encased in a single use plastic. Single use plastics (SUPs) are exactly what the name entails—they are produced for a single time use and were invented for the modern “throwaway society.” The most common plastics produced as SUPs include polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS), polyurethane (PU), and phenolic resin (Chen et al). Plastics also constitute a large amount of oil consumption in the United States since plastics are made from oil. It has been predicted that the United States consumes about 1.6 billion liters of oil yearly to produce SUPs (Chen et al).

Much of the energy in the production processes of SUPs is in the mechanical energy and chemical reactions that occur to form resin molecules for SUPs. On top of being a byproduct of oil, other chemicals called plasticizers, which increase the flexibility and elasticity of a plastic material, are often added to SUPs. PE, being the most used plastic for everyday products, is ethylene that is polymerized under high pressure. The different methods for producing PE include low-, medium-, and high-pressure methods, however the key aspect of PE technology is the catalyst, which is often chromium oxide (Zhong et al).

Pre-charged lithium-ion batteries are used to power Puff Bars. These batteries convert stored chemical energy into electricity through a closed system that occurs at a cathode and anode. (Vayrynen and Salminen). As a newer discovery, the production of lithium-ion batteries is constantly changing—new materials and processes have been developed. Due to the use of these in electric vehicles and other devices, there exists a great demand to increase energy efficiency. The materials needed in order to create a lithium battery require specially made high quality products (Vayrynen and Salminen). Lithium batteries use easily minable metal ores that are finite in quantity, including iron, manganese, lead, zinc, lithium, aluminum, nickel, cobalt, and rare earths. As the consumption of lithium batteries increases, these metal ores become more and more limited in supply, especially cobalt and rare earth metals.

While improvements are being made to increase the efficiency in lithium-ion battery production, the production of the battery emits large amounts of greenhouse gases (GHGs), which are the result of the production of cathode materials and wrought aluminum. About 40% of total emissions are associated with electricity use (Hao et al). Mechanical energy, chemical energy, as well as electrical energy go into the production of lithium-ion batteries. In addition to this, significant amounts of energy go into mining the metals and materials that are used for creating the battery.

Due to the high demand for lithium-ion batteries, the world has been on the hunt for cheap cobalt, although it is a material that is quickly running out of supply. At the heart of this scramble is a remote area in Congo, where children labor to mine cobalt used for the batteries. While also having to work under dangerous conditions, these workers mine by hand day in and day out and subject themselves to numerous health defects as they are exposed to high levels of toxic metals (Frankel).

Medical grade cotton is another material used in Puff Bars—it is soaked in nicotine vapor fluid and heated by the lithium-ion battery. Energy use that goes into the production of cotton becomes more intensive due to the use of fossil fuel chemical fertilizers, pesticides, machinery and electricity and the high demand for cotton (Yilmaz et al). In a study done on energy usage related to cotton production in Turkey, it was found that cotton production consumed 49.73 gigajoules per hectare which depended heavily on fossil fuels (Yilmaz et al).

Much of the energy that goes into medical grade cotton production is kinetic energy, chemical energy, and electric energy. While a lot of the work is done by machinery, human labor (sometimes forced labor) is still required to produce the material. This includes soil preparation, planting, and cultivating of the cotton plants.

Puff Bars use “e-liquid,” which contain nicotine, flavoring, propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, and other ingredients (FDA). Propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin constitute about 80% to 90% of the fluid which allow the fluid to become more viscous. The nicotine in the fluid is derived from the tobacco leaf and transformed into a liquid form. The production of “e-liquid” involves mostly chemical energy and kinetic energy. The materials are each weighed and blended either mechanically or manually by the operators, then sent to be packaged to consuming companies (La Redaction).

The production of nicotine also plays a large role in the production and energy that goes into the Puff Bar. The cultivation of tobacco involves significant inputs of manual labor, land, fertilizer, and water. Tobacco farming has also contributed largely to deforestation due to the need to burn wood and charcoal for curing tobacco (Hopkinson et al). In order to extract nicotine from the leaves, various solvents can be used to isolate nicotine by using a solvent extraction method. Involving thermal and chemical energy, tobacco leaves are dried at 55 degrees Celsius and then ground into a fine powder. The nicotine can then be extracted by the three methods: water maceration extraction, ethanol maceration extraction, and acid-base extraction (Kheawafu et al).

III.          Energy in the Distribution and Transport of the Puff Bar and Its Materials

The e-cigarette market in 2014 was estimated at about $2.5 billion, and the market was projected to grow about 40% the next year. Due to the growing nature of the market and the demand for the products, it is suggested that the distribution of the devices contributes to much of the energy that goes into the life cycle of a Puff Bar. While some companies in the United States have manufacturing facilities within the country, the majority of companies import parts of the device (and sometimes the entire device) from other countries, mostly from China (National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion US Office on Smoking and Health). Transporting materials across the world involve copious amounts of energy, particularly in the form of fossil fuels. In 2003, transport contributed to about 24% of the world’s CO2 emissions—road transport contributed 18% to 23% while aviation contributed about 2% to 3% of transport emissions.

IV.          Energy in Use and Reuse of the Puff Bar

Puff Bars cannot be refilled or recharged, so there is not a significant amount of energy that goes into the use and maintenance of the product. Since it is a single use item, the Puff Bar can be thrown away once the e-liquid has run out. The energy that goes into the use of a Puff Bar is taken from the electric energy available in the lithium-ion battery.

V.            Energy in Waste Management of the Puff Bar

Currently, there is no legal way to recycle Puff Bars, and they are considered hazardous waste material due to the residual threat they pose to children and household pets. Since these are single-use devices, they simply get thrown away once the e-liquid has run out.

VI.          Conclusion

Ultimately, the physical and chemical energy that go into the lifecycle of a Puff Bar are generated during the production of single use plastics, lithium batteries, cotton, and nicotine as well as during the transport and distribution of the materials and product. Since the Puff Bar cannot be recycled, it should be disposed of properly due to the potential impacts it may have on children and household pets due to the existence of the lithium-ion battery and nicotine in the device.

Bibliography

Chen, Yuan, et al. “Single-Use Plastics: Production, Usage, Disposal, and Adverse Impacts.” Science of The Total Environment, Elsevier, 19 Aug. 2020, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969720353018.

FDA. “Vaporizers, e-Cigarettes, and Other Ends.” U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/products-ingredients-components/vaporizers-e-cigarettes-and-other-electronic-nicotine-delivery-systems-ends.

Frankel, Todd C. “This Is Where Your Smartphone Battery Begins.” The Washington Post, WP Company, https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/business/batteries/congo-cobalt-mining-for-lithium-ion-battery/.

Hao, Han, et al. “GHG Emissions from the Production of Lithium-Ion Batteries for Electric Vehicles in China.” MDPI, Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 4 Apr. 2017, https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/9/4/504.

Hopkinson, Nicholas S. “Environmental Consequences of Tobacco Production and Consumption.” The Lancet, https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(19)31888-4/fulltext.

Kheawfu, Kantaporn, et al. “Extraction of Nicotine from Tobacco Leaves and Development of Fast Dissolving Nicotine Extract Film.” Membranes, Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 4 May 2021, https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes11060403

La Redaction. “Vaping Technical Guide: The Secrets behind E-Liquid Manufacturing.” Blog Vape, 16 Sept. 2017, https://blog-vape.com/2017/08/01/the-secrets-behind-e-liquid-manufacturing/.

National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (US) Office on Smoking and Health. “Activities of the e-Cigarette Companies.” E-Cigarette Use Among Youth and Young Adults: A Report of the Surgeon General [Internet]., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 Jan. 1970, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538679/.

Truth Initiative. “Tobacco and the Environment.” Truth Initiative, https://truthinitiative.org/research-resources/harmful-effects-tobacco/tobacco-and-environment.

Truth Initiative. “What Are Puff Bars?” Truth Initiative, https://truthinitiative.org/research-resources/emerging-tobacco-products/what-are-puff-bars.

Väyrynen, Antti, and Justin Salminen. “Lithium Ion Battery Production.” The Journal of Chemical Thermodynamics, Academic Press, 21 Sept. 2011, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0021961411003090.

Yilmaz, Ibrahim, et al. “An Analysis of Energy Use and Input Costs for Cotton Production in Turkey.” Renewable Energy, Pergamon, 3 Aug. 2004, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960148104002393.

Zhong, Xiuhua et al. (2018). Polyethylene plastic production process. Insight - Material Science. 1. 1. 10.18282/ims.v1i1.104.

Christopher Rinetti

Anel Garcia, Candice Mitra

DES 40A 001 

Professor Cogdell

November 30 2021

Puff Bars: Wastes and Emissions 

According to the article, “E-cigarettes: Facts, stats and regulations” by Truth Initiative, Puff Bars, a disposable e-cigarette, have become the most popular nicotine device among the vape community; taking up 51 percent of the total market share for disposable nicotine devices. It is no surprise the disposable device has made its mark on the vaping community, it offers a way to enjoy nicotine in flavors ranging from Raspberry Ice to Cucumber Berry in a very convenient manner. However, the uprising in Puff Bars poses a risk to the environment as its complex chemical makeup can be harmful if not properly disposed of. These single-use plastic devices do not just pollute the human body with carcinogens, but they also pollute the environment with three major forms of waste: Plastic Waste, Electronic Waste, and Chemical Waste.  

To begin, discussing the makeup of the disposable e-cigarette will allow for a better understanding of the waste Puff Bars pose to the environment.  According to Puffcount on Tiktok in their video “Now you know what is inside” , the device is made up of an outer shell of single use plastics which holds a battery and coil inside the device. Puff Bars are constructed with a 3.7v 250mAH to 500mAH lithium-ion battery, depending on the size, which is the primary heating agent for the device. Along with the battery, the device also contains a chemical combination of nicotine, flavors, propylene glycol, and vegetable glycerine (“What are puff bars?”). To sum up, Puff bars are constructed of single-use plastics, heavy metals, seen from the battery and coil, and chemicals. 

The first kind of waste produced from the consumption of puff bars is Plastic Waste. “Puff Bars are made of plastic that cannot be reused” (A2Z Smoke Shop, Non-Recyclable). Just like plastic water bottles, utensils, bags, straws, Puff Bars are also composed of single-use plastics. Unlike other organic materials, single-use plastics can take hundreds of years to fully decompose. There is little to no data regarding plastic in vape waste, however, compared to other plastic waste can emphasize the impact these devices have on the environment. “Well, according to some researchers, they estimate that due to the PET used in objects like plastic bags, plastic water bottles, and plastic straws, it could take upwards of 450 years to decompose… Let’s break that down so it hits home for you. Breaking that down is equivalent to 5,400 months, or 21,600 weeks, or 1,971,000 days just for one single plastic bottle to decompose”  (Caddle). To sum up, Puff Bars use plastic that cannot be recycled and take years to decay. Since these plastics are not being recycled or decomposing anytime soon, they can pollute the environment and be extremely harmful to wildlife and ecosystems. 

Differing from the more widely known plastic waste, Electronic is the next form of waste that comes from Puff Bars. As stated before in the make-up analysis of these devices, Puff Bars are constructed with a pre-charged lithium-ion battery and atomizer. “An atomizer functions as a heating unit that converts e-liquid to aerosol vapor. This component is made up of heating elements known as e-coils or wicks” (A2Z Smoke Shop, Essential Parts of the Puff Bar) which ultimately classifies this disposable as an electronic device. This issue with electronic waste is that the products, if not properly disposed of, can leak the chemicals from the battery unit into the environment. As well as polluting the environment with chemicals, the devices pose a fire risk if exposed to high temperatures (Tobacco Free, Vape Waste). 

As a result of electronic waste and the disposal of these products, many heavy pollutants are created that are airborne. The process of disposal with electronic waste is primarily focused on burning the products. Electronics are made up of heavy metals, batteries, and circuits and the most effective way of disposal is by burning the waste. When this process is executed, chemicals such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) and polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs), along with metals like copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), and iron (Fe), are released into the air. The flame retardants used in electronic construction produce carbon dioxide which is extremely harmful to the environment and is a primary precursor for climate effects seen today (Admas, Climate Institute). These airborne toxins seep into soil and water which affect the environment and organisms living within those areas. “...for every ton of CRT display products manufactured, 2.9 metric tons of carbon were released” is a piece from Rebecca Admas in which they are also highlighting the emission released in the manufacturing process. 

The last form of waste that stems from Puff Bars is Hazardous Waste. The intense combination of chemicals and nicotine used in the flavoring of the device poses a threat to human and environmental health. These toxins, if not properly disposed of, can leak into waterways and/or be eaten by organisms within an environment. According to Tobacco Free CA, “Research has shown that even very small amounts of nicotine can be harmful or even lethal to animals.” Very similar to Cigarette butts, Puff Bars pollute the environment through runoff and leakage of their chemicals into environments, primarily through waterways (Truth Initiative, Tobacco and the Environment). The flavoring of the device is also made with e-liquid components such as propylene glycol and glycerin. “The study shows… that propylene glycol and glycerin, two solvents found in most “e-liquids” (the substance that is vaporized by the e-cigarette), leads to emissions of toxic chemicals such as acrolein and formaldehyde” (Chao, All Cigarettes  Emit Harmful Chemicals). 

Despite the lack of data directly from Puff Bars themselves, comparisons with similar components show that the major forms of emissions that come from the device are from its Plastic Waste, Electronic Waste, and Hazardous Waste. There are emissions and waste produced from the manufacturing of the devices, just like every product that exists, however, most of the issues arise from the lack of proper disposal of the device. In a 2017 Research published by Truth Initiative, it was stated that 16 million people consumed disposable vapes in the United States alone, and within that group, only 9% of those consumers disposed of their vape properly (Dayley, NPR). This study, combined with the research of waste, highlights how impactful these Puff Bars can be for the environment. If 81% of the vapes were not properly disposed of, that means there were around 14 million vape-related products that had the potential to release toxins into the environment in 2017. Puff Bars are primarily created with materials that cannot be recycled, however, there is still a proper way of disposal to avoid emitting toxic chemicals into the environment. Puff Bars should not be thrown into a trash bin or anything attached to common waste, rather they should be turned off, to avoid fire risk, sealed in a package,  so the consumer and environment are not at risk to unintentional chemical exposure, and delivered to a Hazardous Waste Facility.

In conclusion, the lifecycle of a puff bar overall ends in 2 ways. When the battery dies or the max amount of puffs allowed from the e-juice is taken, the consumer can take two routes. The first route is proper disposal. In this lifecycle, the dead product would be taken apart and the single-use plastics that could be recycled would be, and the others would decay over time. Then the battery would be burned which would emit Co2 into the environment; airborne waste,  solid waste, and usable product output  (Admas, Climate Institute). The last element would be the disposal of the nicotine, flavors, propylene glycol, and vegetable glycerine that are within the e-juice cart at a hazardous waste center. If the second route is taken, which is the more common way (Dayley, NPR), the Puff Bar would be improperly disposed of. In this setting, the device would stay in its complete form; battery, circuit, and chemicals all enclosed in plastic. Depending on where the device is disposed of, there is a potential risk of fire and exposure of chemicals within the device to its environment. Research from Tobacco Free California stated that the battery if exposed to high temperatures can start fires, and the nicotine could leak into environments, which even in small amounts, is very harmful to one’s health; waterborne waste and other environmental releases output. These two lifecycle endings, both harmful in their ways, are a result of the single-use disposable manner of the Puff Bar.

Bibliography

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N/A “Benefits of Vaping for the Environment.” Puff Bar Vapes Official Site, 15 Aug. 2020, https://puffbarvapes.com/benefits-of-vaping-for-the-environment/. 

N/A Electronic Smoking Devices and Secondhand Aerosol - American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation. No, 7 Oct. 2021, 12345https://no-smoke.org/electronic-smoking-devices-secondhand-aerosol/. 

N/A “E-Cigarettes and a New Threat: How to Dispose of Them.” Google, Google, https://www.google.com/amp/s/theconversation.com/amp/e-cigarettes-and-a-new-threat-how-to-dispose-of-them-105096. 

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N/A. “What Are Puff Bars?” Granite Vapor, 28 Oct. 2020, 12345https://granitevapor.com/blog/what-are-puff-bars/. 

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N/A. “How Long Does It Take Plastic to Decompose - Longer than You Think.” Consumer Data 12345Marketplace, 22 Dec. 2020, https://getcaddle.com/blog/how-long-does-it-take-plastic-to-decompose-longer-than-you