Most vapers end up with a bottle they will never finish. I have roughly ten of them at the back of my vape cupboard: flavors I disliked, could not bring myself to bin, and then forgot about until the liquid had gone brown. This guide covers what to do with e-liquid like that, which disposal methods to avoid, and the one method I keep coming back to.
The short answer: cat litter
Nobody has a perfect disposal method for e-liquid yet, but absorbing it in kitty litter is the most responsible option I know of.
- Pour the e-liquid over a small amount of litter and wait for it to clump.
- Once everything is soaked up, tip the litter into a bag that seals.
- Put the sealed bag out with your normal household trash.
- Recycle the empty bottle, whether it is glass or plastic.
Do not leave the soaked litter in the litterbox or anywhere a pet could lick at what is left. Litter is cheap, and if you own a cat you already have some.
What not to do
Down the sink or in the open trash
The drain and the trash can are the obvious choices, and both are poor ones. One argument is that e-liquid poured down a drain can build up and contaminate water, much as used cooking oil does. Another is that waste treatment may not remove the residue well enough, which becomes a bigger problem as more people do it. Because a lot of e-juice contains nicotine, there is also the chance of exposing people to it without their knowledge. That may sound far fetched, but until someone shows the drain is harmless, keep your e-liquid out of it.
On a paper towel
Someone who lives alone could probably soak the liquid into a paper towel, or into a dirty container that cannot be recycled, and leave it at that. In a home with a pet that digs through the trash, the same shortcut could poison the animal and end in an expensive vet visit. Small children may be drawn to the sweet smell and treat it as something to play with.
On the ground
Pouring e-liquid onto soil is out too, even soft earth that soaks it up fast. The smell can attract animals, and they may lick the spot to investigate. The long-term effects of vape juice are not yet known, so there is no reason to risk hurting an animal or a passerby. Swallowing e-juice is a bad idea in any amount; we cover that in a separate article on skin contact and swallowing.
Before you get rid of it
Check how old it is
E-liquid has a long intended shelf life, but you cannot tell how long a bottle sat in a shop before you picked it up. Look for an expiration date before buying. Plenty of bottles still do not carry one, and in that case write down the purchase date so you know later how long you have had it. There is no firm standard, though most e-liquid is meant to last between one and two years. A bottle well beyond its date should be disposed of properly.
Give it away, trade it or mix it
If the only problem is that you cannot stand the flavor, offer the bottle to a friend who vapes. Tastes differ a lot, and your worst flavor may be their favorite. Some shops also run trade-in promotions for a bottle you bring in, opened or unopened, toward a new one.
Mixing is another route. A juice that tastes weak by itself can lift a different one. I once combined a menthol from Naked 100 with a fruit juice that was far too sweet, and the blend turned out to be very good.
Ask your city, and a wish for something better
If you want an official answer, ask your local officials, usually at city hall, what they recommend. The question may baffle them and they may have nothing to tell you, but it shows that responsible vapers exist, and it might prompt someone to look into an affordable solution.
I have often wished for a gadget that would vaporize a disliked e-liquid so I could enjoy the smell without putting up with the taste. That would spare me from wasting it. A vape diffuser would probably not go down well with non-vapers or anyone concerned about secondhand vapor, though. Until a better method is invented or approved, cat litter remains the simplest answer.