Be a Vape Recycler.
The cross-media campaign for SENS eRecycling.
Disposable vapes are becoming increasingly popular; however, their single-use nature often leads to them being carelessly discarded. Yet, recycling can recover valuable raw materials. The «Be a Vape Recycler» campaign aims to address this issue by educating and motivating the public to properly dispose of used e-cigarettes. Suan Conceptual Design was commissioned by the SENS Foundation to develop this comprehensive cross-media awareness campaign.
SENS eRecycling and Suan are pleased to announce the successful launch of the campaign. This pioneering initiative aims to raise awareness among e-cigarette consumers about the importance of environmentally friendly disposal, thereby contributing actively to environmental protection.
Contribution from SRF Tagesschau on the topic
The Environmental Issue of Disposable Vapes
«E-cigarettes contain batteries (lithium-ion cells) that include both valuable raw materials and harmful substances. To recover these materials and prevent pollutants from entering the environment, empty e-cigarettes must be recycled. Importers and retailers in Switzerland are legally obliged to accept all types of used e-cigarettes.» – Source: www.vape-recycler.ch
A study from the United Kingdom suggests that disposable vapes also pose a significant environmental problem in Switzerland: 50 percent of vapes in the UK end up in the trash and are not recycled. The materials wasted could potentially produce 1,200 electric car motors annually.1 In Switzerland, the situation could be even more critical; according to Sabrina Bjöörn from SENS eRecycling, almost no vapes were being recycled in 2023, with the estimated rate at only 5%.
In 2023, SENS eRecycling and Suan developed a recycling box for retail stores and the website www.vape-recycler.ch as initial communication measures. This website offers comprehensive information that makes the issue tangible. These first steps managed to increase the collection rate to 20%. The long-term goal is to achieve at least 50%.
«Suan Conceptual Design has developed a thoughtful and creative concept that captures the key aspects of recycling and implements them impressively. We are proud to realize this campaign together and make an important contribution to environmental protection.»
Animated Key Visuals Communicate Facts
Suan has developed a social media campaign, in collaboration with dreifive, that distributes the animated key visual. This visual conveys selected facts from the website, providing a playful yet urgent presentation of the problem and directing viewers to the vape recycling bag and the website. Digital out-of-home measures at high-traffic locations in Switzerland support the campaign, enhancing visibility and spreading the message widely. In mid-July, the e-boards and e-panels at Zurich‘s main train station were illuminated in green. The key visuals reached numerous commuters and travelers.
The campaign also demonstrates how design solutions and targeted communication measures can enhance environmental awareness in society. SENS eRecycling and Suan invite everyone to actively participate in the communication and thereby promote sustainable handling of e-cigarettes.
Campaign Elements and Measures:
1. Website: www.vape-recycler.ch
2. Vape Recycling Bags
3. Awareness stickers
4. Social media campaigns
5. Digital out-of-home measures
6. Media kit
7. Collection concepts and presence at festivals
Sources:
1) SRF Impact, Fabian Kohler, 16.3.2023