A curious person posted pictures on Reddit of an unidentified object they found in a parking lot in hopes of figuring out what it was.

The overwhelming opinion was that it was a refillable vape cartridge that was discarded and then run over by a car.

"We just toss them on the street," one commenter noted, disheartened by vapers' disregard for proper disposal.

In addition to being unhealthy for users, vaping can have a negative impact on the environment, and the disposable vaping devices are particularly harmful. 

Vaping has been increasing in popularity, and one study showed that one in 20 adult Americans is a user, according to Time magazine.

Another study found that about 5 million disposable vapes are discarded every week in the United Kingdom alone, per the BBC. This is a huge contributor to waste and pollution. 

Although many vapes have recyclable components, they are often discarded into regular trash bins or just tossed wherever, as the original poster observed. Just 17% of U.K. users in the study recycled the devices correctly, demonstrating how vapes are becoming a significant source of e-waste.

Disposable vapes also contain materials that can be harmful if not disposed of or recycled properly. They include lithium batteries, which can be a fire hazard and leach hazardous substances into soil, contaminating the water supply. If recycled properly, the valuable resources inside the batteries can be reused.

Moreover, the plastic that vapes are often constructed from takes hundreds of years or more to decompose and breaks down into microplastics, which have been linked as a health risk to wildlife and humans.

Some countries have banned disposable vapes or e-cigarettes, while others are calling for a ban on disposable vaping devices in an effort to combat the issue of plastic waste, toxic pollution, and e-waste.

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Reddit users commenting on the photos of the discarded vape device expressed frustration.

"The vapes are replacing the cigarette butts!" one commenter noted. "So you have more permanent trash on the street. And more poison in the water!"

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