"One-off models are not the future"
This is according to Fritte Vanecek, who was the first in Sweden to distribute disposable vaporizers on a larger scale. Now he and the Ecigg chain, along with several other companies selling disposable models, are investing in more sustainable systems that could replace disposable vapes in the future.
Disposable models, or engångsvapes as they are usually called in Swedish, are now available in every every second convenience store. Since their introduction to the market almost four years ago, sales have skyrocketed. At the same time, the products have led to an increasingly heated debate on both availability and sustainability. A disposable cigarette contains both nicotine and lithium batteries - two components that should not end up in the regular waste bin. However, a solution to this problem has been difficult to promote among retailers.
"Already when we negotiated the first contracts four years ago, the issue of recycling was on the table. But the interest in doing it was extremely low. Most people were not interested in even talking about it, especially as they didn't know whether the products would sell or not" says Fryer Vanecek, product manager at the e-cig chain that supplies brands such as N-One and Frunk Bar to many retailers in Sweden.
Has become "mainstream"
But from being virtually alone in the disposable cigarette market, Fritte Vanecek says the concept has taken root in Sweden. Today, in 2023, several companies, from local distributors to major tobacco companies, have entered the market. Fryer Vanecek notes that the vision of making e-cigarettes mainstream has become a reality.
"The disposable models are a very good entry-level product for smokers who have no idea what e-cigarettes are. At the same time, it is a product that can be sold in all stores where cigarettes are available. That was the challenge just a few years ago, getting convenience stores and gas stations to understand the concept. And now it works," says Fryer Vanecek.
Disposable weapons not the future
At the same time, he is aware that the environmental aspect will inevitably become part of the whole discussion on vejpning, alongside the debate on young people as vejpar.
"I don't really think that disposable models have a bright future. But they have served their purpose well, in that they have established e-cigarettes as part of the grocery trade. They show that there is money to be made from e-cigs and that a lot of people are interested in trying alternatives to cigarettes."
New podcasting systems instead
Instead, he believes the simpler pod system is coming back. A smaller rechargeable battery and pre-filled tanks, a mix between a refillable e-cig and a closed system.
"We already have such a product on the market. We will see if it is acceptable to customers" says Fryer Vanecek.
Long-established
Pre-filled pod systems have already been on the market for a long time. They became known worldwide when the American vejp company Juul took over a large share of e-cigarette sales in the US in 2018 with its minimalist pod system. The term 'to vejpa' often became synonymous with 'to Juul', especially in the media.
Lack of interest in the past
In Sweden, the reception of pre-filled pods was not as warm. Similar pod systems were mainly sold in dedicated vejp shops, where Swedish manufacturer Vont was an early adopter. Today, Vont is mostly focused on disposable models, but will probably relaunch the pod system as market conditions change. Sustainability is at the center, says Vont's CEO Ramin Warda.
"We are also working to move away from the single-use cigars. We are currently developing a new pod system, which will be based on what our disposable systems look like." Ramin Warda tells Vejpkollen.
Expensive recycling a death blow
Fritte Vanecek and Ramin Warda are joined by another competitor in the disposable market in Sweden. Marius Arnesen is the CEO of Norse Impact, which, like the E-cig chain, supplies disposable vapes to Direkten and others. He believes that recycling disposable models risks becoming too expensive in the end. Norse itself is working to introduce a sustainability system together with the company Bower, an online company that also works with Swedish Vont to simplify the recycling of disposable models. Marius Arnesen does a similar analysis of the market as Fryer Vanecek and Ramin Warda.
"Over time, I think pod systems will take over more and more. They are both cheaper and smarter from a sustainability perspective. Today, disposable models are popular, but as things stand, they risk being banned unless the problems of recycling are solved," says Marius Arnesen to Vejpkollen.
