Michiganders threw away millions of vape pens, upwards of $130 million in bottle deposits, and large amounts of food waste in 2023, according to a Michigan Sustainable Business Forum report.
The study is funded by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, with data analysis by Grand Valley State University and a group of MiSBF members.
According to the report, there are an estimated 29 million vape pens in the solid waste stream. These devices have lithium-ion batteries and may contribute to an increasing number of fires at waste management facilities in Michigan.
Vape pens are considered e-waste by Michigan’s municipal solid waste (MSW), and includes hazardous and valuable components that can have the potential to be recycled. The report estimated that e-waste makes about bout 1 percent of MSW, which has gone down significantly since 2015.
Another one of the biggest standouts in the report, which compares data to a similar 2016 report, is that food waste made up nearly 20% of the analyzed trash. This is the largest category of recyclable material.
According to the report, Michiganders also threw away 1.3 billion returnable containers worth an estimated $130 million in deposit.
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