On Friday, March 13, members of Connecticut’s Environmental Committee passed a bill which calls for the study of “extended producer responsibility” for the disposal of solar panels and vapes, both of which contain precious or potentially hazardous metals and are often powered by lithium-ion batteries. While the bill addresses both solar panels and vapes, the majority of public testimony surrounded the issue of vape disposal.
“The surge in e-cigarette and vaping device waste introduces new challenges and complexities for communities and policymakers because the proliferation of usage is not just a public health issue, but it is also an evolving environmental problem,” wrote Ruth Canovi, Connecticut’s Director of Public Policy for the American Lung Association. “Electronic nicotine products have rapidly become one of the fastest-growing sources of toxic pollution in the United States, creating a far more complex and dangerous environmental challenge than cigarette butts.”
Extended producer responsibility programs (EPRGs) are frameworks where producers of products are deemed liable for their disposal. Connecticut already has such programs for several products, such as mattresses, tires, or gas cylinders. The bill said the study, which would be overseen by the state’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), would identify potential for “the recycling and potential reuse” of solar panels’ “rare minerals and metals,” as well as identify “the circumstances under which a disposed vaping device poses a fire or explosion risk.” The study would assess what procedures are used to recycle or dispose of these products currently, whether neighboring states have EPRGs that could assist Connecticut, what the cost might be to municipalities and taxpayers to implement an EPRG, as well as an estimate of what agency personnel, financial structures, and infrastructure might be required to implement.
Since October 2022, disposable vapes have become the most commonly sold form of vape in the state of Connecticut, according to sales data from the CDC Foundation’s tobaccomonitoring.org. Their ascent has been rapid: in February 2019, a little under 6% of vapes sold in the state were disposable, but as of September 2025, disposable vapes accounted for about 64% of the state’s vape sales. Disposable vapes, which are powered by lithium-ion batteries, are listed by the state as “household hazardous waste,” meaning they should not be disposed of in regular trash or recycling. When improperly disposed, lithium-ion batteries can lead to fires, explosions or hazardous gas leaks.
In addition to the environmental hazard vapes pose, stakeholders also highlighted disposable vapes’ growing prevalence among minors and young adults. Connecticut’s 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that 11.5% of the state’s high-schoolers had vaped at least once in the past 30 days, and that 30% of that cohort vaped every day. Last year, Attorney General William Tong announced he would be cracking down on the sale of disposable vapes, initiating investigations into 12 vape shops and convenience stores, and two wholesalers, for “selling highly-potent, illegally imported disposable e-cigarettes flavored and designed to appeal to youth.”
“In conversations with school staff, I regularly hear frustration about the number of devices being confiscated and uncertainty about what to do with them afterward,” wrote Hope Allen, the Vaping Prevention Coordinator for Amplify, a policy group focused on behavioral health. “In a recent survey of districts statewide, nearly all reported confiscating vape products, averaging about 15 devices per month. Most schools ultimately throw devices in regular trash or store them on campus because clear disposal guidance does not exist. Some districts even report students flushing devices, causing costly plumbing damage.”
Katie Dykes, Commissioner of DEEP, testified in support of “the intent of this proposal,” but noted the agency may be fiscally unable to oversee such a study, recommending the legislature consider including an ” independent industry organization to oversee such a stewardship program.”
“DEEP supports the concept of extended producer responsibility (EPR) for vapes and for renewable energy infrastructure, particularly for residential solar installations,” wrote Dykes. “Since such studies are resource intensive and would require additional resources not included in the Governor ’s budget, we cannot support these studies at this time.”
Dykes also pointed to a working group founded in 2024, headed by the Connecticut Green Bank and conducted in collaboration with DEEP and other stakeholders, to “resolve the issue of solar and battery waste.” The Connecticut Green Bank submitted a 185-page report made by the working group as testimony.
While the idea of a stewardship program for vapes and solar panels was popular among waste management and behavioral health stakeholders, the Connecticut Medical Cannabis Council (CMCC) asked that lawmakers “proceed very cautiously” before passing the bill. CMCC stated that requiring dispensaries to have a vape return box might technically lead to violations of state regulations regarding cannabis inventory, that the manufacturer-level fees often imposed by stewardship programs would increase costs for medical marijuana users, and that oil removal from cannabis vape cartridges is “a time-consuming and costly process.”
“For the foregoing reasons, CMCC would request that cannabis vape cartridges be exempted from any contemplated study,” wrote the CMCC.
Ultimately, the bill was voted out of the committee today, meaning any amendments would have to be made by lawmakers outside of the typical committee process.
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