Discarded Vapes Found in River Kent Highlight Growing Pollution Concerns

The recent Our River Kent exhibition at Kendal Museum was originally set to feature a striking display of discarded vapes recovered from the River Kent by Simon Raven and his band of litter warriors.

Around 40 vapes were collected and placed into a transparent tank for display. However, the idea was ultimately abandoned.

It was the smell; a mixture of what you might expect from items left on the riverbed and the sickly sweet smells of traces of their contents. If we could smell them then that meant that museum visitors would be passive vaping. If we could smell them that means the trace contents have been leaching out into the river.

Vapes must be just about the worst thing found in the river. Contents toxic to the delicate ecosystem, plastics being ground down and entering the food chain, toxic metals from the batteries.

Photographer and CRKC supporter Nicola Fearnley, decided to take away the vapes and create a studio photograph to show the potential harm.

The recovered vapes have since been responsibly disposed of through a shop-based recycling scheme.

CRKC have raised concerns about why these items are being discarded into the river and is calling for greater awareness and action to prevent further pollution.