Comment by palata
Comment by palata 14 hours ago
I feel like a law saying "don't put electronics in disposable products" would do the job.
Comment by palata 14 hours ago
I feel like a law saying "don't put electronics in disposable products" would do the job.
> Almost every electronic device becomes disposable at some point
And we're all gonna die, why would we have laws at all?
When we say "disposable vape", it's not to say "it will eventually stop working". It's more to say "you use it, you throw it away".
> E-waste recycling is a profitable
I don't doubt it's profitable, but it's most certainly not a good thing for the planet. Recycling is generally not a solution to waste.
> The problem here is planned obsolescence in a product's design. That is what needs to be made illegal.
Seriously? We're talking about DISPOSABLE VAPES. They are built to last as short a time as possible. At this point I am not sure if you think you disagree with me, are just nitpicking for the fun of it, or something else?
I am not disagreeing with you. I agree that these disposable vapes should be made illegal. What I meant is that "disposing" is a broad term and is not always bad. Many good products eventually become naturally obsolescent, at which point it's often best to responsibly dispose of them.
The actual problem here is how the product is intentionally designed to only be used once, when that's absolutely unnecessary. We both agree on that. That falls within the issue of planned obsolescence, and that's what regulation needs to target.
Right, got it.
Though I don't believe that when someone talks about a "disposable" product, they mean that "this is a product that you will dispose of before you die". Usually "disposable" means that it's meant to have a short lifetime.
A laptop or a smartphone are not "disposable" in that sense, even though we don't keep them for our lifetime.
Drawing the line will be the hardest part of writing a theoretical law banning electronics in disposable products. And the line will probably be obsolete a few weeks after the law takes effect. Which is why the line should be continuously drawn by a regulatory body, which in America are being an endangered species.
What about Smoke Detectors, since they too are a disposable electronic?
Do I misunderstand what we mean with "disposable vapes"? It's not the first such comment I see.
When we talk about "disposable vapes", we don't talk about something that lasts 10 years, do we?
Or do you think that the very word "disposable" should not exist, because after all, nothing will last longer than the sun?
You throw away your smoke detector? Just replace the battery.
My guy is out here pulling off the whole thing and tossing it in the trash.
Yes, Smoke Alarms should be thrown away. The element that detects smoke has a 10-year maximum life span, which is exactly why most have moved to a non-replaceable battery that forces you to throw it away (for safety).
I'm going to need to see some data to back up that claim. Americium-241 has a half-life of 432.6 years. The detector itself isn't going to degrade in any meaningful way after only 10 years.
Plus, many smoke alarms these days use a photoelectric sensor which don't wear out but are prone to false alarms from dust, etc. Smoke alarms SHOULD be cleaned at least once a year, by blasting them with compressed air. Dust buildup is a very common reason that smoke alarms stop working as well after any number of years. They require regular cleaning, just like everything else in the house.
Non-replaceable battery smoke alarms are popular because they are much more convenient to own. And you should NOT throw them away, the batteries in these contain lithium and must be recycled.
Almost every electronic device becomes disposable at some point, some sooner than others. Just make sure you bring them to an e-waste bin when that time comes. E-waste recycling is a profitable business, so there's always one nearby in my experience.
If you have some old Samsung Galaxy Gio from 2011, it'll provide far more value by recycling it back to raw materials than it would if you'd somehow try to keep it usable in 2025.
The problem here is planned obsolescence in a product's design. That is what needs to be made illegal.