Latvia Moves Closer to E-Cigarette Deposit System to Combat Waste

Latvia is taking a significant step to combat electronic waste by introducing a deposit system for e-cigarettes. The Saeima, the Latvian parliament, approved amendments to the Waste Management Law on June 18, paving the way for this new environmental initiative.

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Data shows that the number of e-cigarette waste has increased in the last five years – in 2023, 15 million e-cigarettes were discarded in Latvia, and only 5% of them were handed over for recycling. The rest ended up in household waste and landfills.

The primary goal of the deposit system is to mitigate the growing pollution and environmental harm caused by discarded e-cigarettes. Data indicates a sharp rise in e-cigarette waste over the past five years, with 15 million units disposed of in Latvia in 2023 alone. Alarmingly, only 5% of these were recycled, with the remainder ending up in landfills. Lithium-ion batteries, a common component in e-cigarettes, are also a frequent cause of fires in waste management facilities and pose a threat to the environment when not properly disposed of.

Starting February 1, 2025, the deposit system will apply to disposable e-cigarettes. Consumers will pay a deposit fee upon purchase, which will be refunded when they return the used device. Manufacturers and distributors will be required to contract with a system operator and provide clear information about the device's participation in the deposit scheme on its packaging and the device itself.

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Lithium-ion batteries are the cause of fires in more than 40 percent of cases in the field of waste management, and when they end up in nature, the e-cigarette device does not decompose.

This initiative builds upon Latvia's existing successful deposit system for beverage containers, which was implemented in 2022. The beverage container system has seen a significant increase in returned packaging, contributing to a reduction in plastic bottles and aluminum cans found in coastal areas. The government will establish specific regulations for the e-cigarette deposit system, covering its operation, collection points, recycling targets, and reporting requirements.

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Manufacturers and distributors will have to conclude a contract with the system operator, and consumers, when buying such a cigarette, will pay a deposit fee. It will be refunded when the used device is returned.