People are littering dozens of disposable vapes around Arbroath, Broughty Ferry, Perth and Kirkcaldy, The Courier has found.

Environment reporter, Joanna Bremner, here.

I spent a day walking around Courier country to see how many disposable vapes I could find on our streets in the space of a few hours.

Disposable vapes are a problematic smoking alternative that have grown in popularity in recent years. A few weeks ago, climate campaigner Laura Young found more than fifty in an hour in Dundee.

This week, I visited Arbroath, Broughty Ferry, Perth and Kirkcaldy. In total, I collected almost forty vapes.

But where did I find the most?

Is Arbroath, Broughty Ferry, Perth or Kirkcaldy the worst for disposable vapes?

I found seven disposable vapes on the streets of Arbroath.

These were mostly around bars, restaurants and takeaways.

The best of the bunch was Perth, where I found just one discarded single-use vape in the town centre.

Again, this was on a stretch near pubs and restaurants.

But in Broughty Ferry, I found eight disposable vapes in one car park alone.

1.3 million disposable vapes are thrown out each week in the UK.

Throwing them on the street is not only damaging to the immediate environment, it is also problematic in the long run.

The plastic shell of disposable vapes is wasted, as well as the lithium contained in the  battery.

I found the most disposable vapes in Kirkcaldy.

There were 21 of these single-use vapes, over half of which I found in a single park.

These numbers are worrying and show a trend of thoughtless littering.

So where should I be putting my disposable vapes?

As tempting as it may be for some to drop your vapes on the street, in a car park, under bushes or trees, or around the sides of corner shops, this is not where people should be leaving their disposable vapes.

You should be taking your disposable vapes to the recycling centre staff can recycle them. Although this only works if recycling centre staff know what to do with them.

Disposable vapes contain valuable materials including lithium batteries and copper, as well as plastic.

This means they are classed as Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and should be disposed of at household recycling centres.

The Scottish Government has commissioned a review into the environmental impact of disposable vapes, led by Zero Waste Scotland.

Anti-disposable vape campaigner, Laura Young, hopes this review will end with a ban on disposable vapes.

Laura has launched a petition to the Scottish Government to get disposable vapes banned now.

What is the UK vaping ‘greenprint’?

The UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) has now come out with a vaping “greenprint“.

This action plan has had input from the waste industry, vape manufacturers, regulators and consumer behaviour experts.

This in response to the “scrutiny” placed on the industry and the environmental impact that vapes have.

The action plan includes more training for the people that sell vapes, so they can give customers information about recycling options. There could also be an app that points you in the direction of your nearest vape recycling bin.

“Recycle me” branding will be added to vape packaging and the waste industry will design vape recycling containers.