With all the talk about plastic and the attempt to stop the use and production of single use items. I'm shocked to discover that disposable lighters, the ones that you can't even refill are still widely available.
sadly we discovered all these whilst cleaning out the house for our impending moveWe all use them, whether smoking or simply to light a stove or fire, lighters are considered an essential item in most parts of the world. But what happens to those no fill lighters when they run out of gas?
Even the plastic ones that are refillable have a shelf life. The flint goes or the striking mechanism breaks. Then what happens? They end up in the trash to go to landfill or be dumped at sea.
Ideally the manufacture of these items needs to cease. Replaced with lighters made from more sustainable materials.
Years ago there were lighters such as the now classic Zippo. A simple design that lasted a lifetime and only the wick and fluid needed replacing.
It blows my mind that with the advances in technology these things still exist.
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There are a number of alternative options out there. If these no fill ones are going to keep being manufactured then we need to simply stop buying them and choose alternatives.
So what are the alternatives?
Of course everyone knows the Zippo lighters. They're worth investing in. Although, If like me your lighter seems to be claimed by others then there are cheaper alternatives too.
Image CreditFor instance, Clipper lighter are refillable and the flights can be replaced. There are windproof lighters that are refillable too. The only downside is that most of these are also made from plastic, but at least their life span is considerably longer than the non refillable types. It's best to avoid buying the cheapest windproof lighters as they have a tendency to break really easily rendering them useless.
Plasma lighters rub on electric and contain a small battery that is rechargeable via USB. They're windproof and flameless too.
Image Credit You can also find various firelighting kits in camping and outdoor stores. They come with lint, flint and striking mechanism to easily get a campfire going.
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Remember we can stop the production of single use plastic.
THE POWER IS IN WHAT WE CHOOSE TO BUY.
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Right there with you on this one. Even the refillable clipper lighters don't seem to last as long as they used to; the parts break before you even get a chance to refill them! It's a major contributor to plastic waste for sure. We should all be avoiding single use plastics, especially lighters as they are such common use.
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Agreed! Welcome to steemit Beautiful lady. ❤❤
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Gosh I have not owned a lighter in years actually... since I quit smoking, but even back then when I did I was already using refillable ones.
A very valid point raised 👌
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Thanks @jaynie. Yes and even for non smokers, they're still used for campfires lighting stoves etc so it is really important. That's great at that you used refillable ones back then too. ❤❤
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Yeah its bad really. But industry doesnt really care about anything other than the money...sadly.
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Which is exactly why we consumer power is so important. If we all stopped using these products they would have no choice but to stop making them 🤗❤❤
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It's odd, because we use matches. Maybe we're one of the few left out there who do.
From lighting the BBQ grill (wood and charcoal- no propane for us) to lighting candles, a bonfire in the pit... for an strange reason, I like the smell of burning sulfur from the matches. It reminds me of my maternal grandma. She used to smoke cigarettes and the scent brings back memories of her.
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Very good point! Something most people probably don't think about. It's eye opening when you see a pile of lighters washed ashore.
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Agreed, they all should be refillable and I have rechargeable batteries as well.
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