A Stellenbosch University (SU) society is currently in the first phase of a pilot project, repurposing disposable vapes to make rechargeable power banks.
This is according to Anna Christina Kriel, treasurer of the SU Engineering Without Borders (EWB) sub-chapter and society, who said that there are currently three phases planned for the project.
During the first two weeks of the second semester at Stellenbosch University (SU), Engineering Without Borders (EWB) collected disposable vapes across Stellenbosch to repurpose them into rechargeable power banks, according to Anna Christina Kriel, treasurer of the EWB SU society. PHOTO: Ishmael Mabena
The first phase of the project is the collection of the disposable vapes, followed by the production of power banks in the second phase, while the third phase could include donating the power banks to children in less privileged communities, or selling them, depending on whether they manage to get the vapes licensed, according to Kriel.
EWB recently finished the official collection phase during which they collected more than 700 disposable vapes from across SU campus and Stellenbosch, said Kriel.
Producing power banks
The electronic waste within the disposable vapes, which includes a coil, a battery, and a sponge, will be the main elements used to repurpose the vapes into power banks, said Kriel.
The electronic waste inside a disposable vape (a battery, a coil, and a sponge) will be used to reproduce the vapes as power banks, according to Anna Christina Kriel, treasurer of the Engineering Without Borders society at Stellenbosch University (SU). The disposable vapes were collected through various drop-off points across the SU campus, as well as select local clubs, residences, and commuter student communities (CSCs), said Kriel. PHOTO: Ishmael Mabena
The pilot project will raise awareness of the prevalence of vaping in Stellenbosch and how it can harm the environment, according to Ross Cockayne, a final-year data engineering student at SU, who will lead the production phase.
“E-waste is a particularly harmful form of litter, and batteries are some of the worst forms of it,” said Cockayne.
Collecting the vapes is essential for recycling, according to Shaun Matthysen, house committee member for sustainability at Capri commuter student community (CSC).
“To create the battery pack, a couple of modules or mini circuits are needed, the most important of which is a battery management system,” said Cockayne.
While collecting the disposable vapes is particularly good for recycling, “not everyone wants to walk to the CSC hub to donate their dead vape, even if they [want to]”, according to Matthysen.
A ‘tricky’ process
One of the main challenges that the project presented has been the issue of licensing, according to Kriel. “From an EWB chapter point of view, we would love to donate the power banks if we could, but that would depend on who is funding [the third phase] and then we would have to get them licensed,” said Kriel.
The EWB is currently looking for partners to collaborate with in the third phase, with the aim of getting the power banks licensed, according to Kriel.
“You have to have a licence to have a power bank on the market [whether selling or donating], and the whole procedure to get that is very intense, and it takes long,” said Kriel.
Engineering Without Borders (EWB) collected more than 700 vapes across the Stellenbosch University (SU) campus, during the collection phase. This is according to Anna Christina Kriel, treasurer of the EWB society at SU. PHOTO: Ishmael Mabena