According to P & S Intelligence (2019) https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/south-africa-e-cigarette-market, the South African e-cigarette market was valued at $20.7 million in 2018 with the expectation to register a CAGR of 18.6% during 2019-2024.
Sustainability is a top concern at Inscape, which is why the United Nation’s SDGs and the Circular Economy principles have been embedded in our academic curriculum. As part of their fabrication module, first-year Bachelor of Design students received a brief to design a chair that relates to their ‘own story’.
“Seeing people throw away disposable vapes regularly didn’t sit well with me as I knew it is bad for the environment,” said Sarah Lottering, Inscape 1st year student. A chance to voice out her concerns and create awareness about reusing, recycling and reducing waste arose and she took it with both hands, literally.
Sarah designed a chair out of Airscream South Africa’s AirPops one-use devices. “I decided to post on my Instagram story a request for people to donate used disposable vape devices to make my chair.”
The aesthetically pleasing chair grabbed the attention of Airscream South Africa, igniting a trend and leading to a competition requesting people to upload photos showcasing their creative flair with AirPops, for a chance to win prizes.
“I’m not a designer,” you say, well, here are more ways for you to safely dispose off vape devices:
Image Credit: U.S Food & Drug Administration.
The next time you think of throwing away a vape device, channel your inner creativity and start reusing, recycling, and reducing. A special shoutout to Sarah Lottering for introducing an impactful trend.