Mechanic shares photo of unexpected object that destroyed vehicle's tire: 'Never seen one that big before'

An astounding photo of a destroyed tire showed how dangerous discarded garbage can be.

Posting in r/Justrolledintotheshop, a Redditor shared that they had pulled a Flair Plus thunder grape vaping cartridge out of a vehicle tire, which had a large hole in it.

"They say vapes are bad for people," the poster wrote. "I guess tires too."

Since the devices are not reusable, they must be thrown out, and littered e-cigarettes are becoming common sources of punctured tires. Sadly, users toss them everywhere, including in public parks.

The waste is disconcerting enough, but what happens to it is even worse. Since these cartridges are commonly made of plastic, they will never fully degrade, leaving behind microplastics to pollute the environment. The objects also include batteries and metals as well as toxic chemicals.

In landfills, such trash produces methane, which is a significant contributor to rising global temperatures. Eighty times more potent than carbon dioxide over 20 years, the gas affects crops, our health, and even the economy, according to the Climate and Clean Air Coalition.

Vaping is bad for your health too. Marketed as a safe alternative to cigarettes, the practice may not be as harmful, but it is still not safe. When nicotine is involved, it's just as addictive as traditional smoking, and it can wreak havoc on your heart and lungs.

All this to say: We need a solution to single-use vape cartridges and other disposable plastics. Buying from brands that are working toward a plastic-free future is one step you can take, and talking to friends and family about the effects of these items is another.

If we all work together, we can do our part to move meaningfully toward a cleaner, safer future.

"That tire looks f***** all over the place anyway," one Redditor observed. "That is a pretty impressive puncture though. Never seen one that big before."

Another user wrote: "Cigarette butts all over the place sucked, but batteries all over the f****** road also sucks."

"They need to ban single use vapes," someone else said.

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