The BIC disposable lighter hit the market in 1973. It quickly became the leading brand for disposable lighters and continues to be today.
Each year in the U.S. 1 billion BIC lighters are sold. The majority, 700 million are imported, and of that 700 million, 400 million are imported from China. Each day, world wide, 6 million lighters are purchased. When the BIC lighter celebrated it's 40th birthday, in 2013, they had sold over 30 billion lighters.
BIC disposable lighters are made from steel, aluminum, and a plastic known as delrin. Delrin is polyoxymethylene, also known as POM. Polyoxymethylene is created from the polymerization of formaldehyde. Each standard sized pocket lighter holds 4.9 grams of pure isobutane that can produce approximately 3,000 lights.
BIC disposable lighters are very difficult to refill and it is not advised by the company. They cannot be recycled due to their expertly solid design. The various materials would need to be separated first and that is difficult because they are intentionally built strong as a safety feature. Even if the materials are successfully separated, they are too small to go into curbside recycling bins. They shouldn't be burned or incinerated as the polyoxymethylene releases formaldehyde gas.
Disposable lighters are a commonly littered item. When they don't make it to the landfill, they find their way into our water systems. The saltwater and exposure to sunlight will cause the plastic to photodegrade and it will break down into microplastic. Lighters are commonly mistaken for food by Albatross. Albatross are surface feeders which means they eat by swooping close to the water and scooping up squid and fish near the surface. Now that plastic pollution has become so abundant, they mistakenly scoop up plastic instead of food. Since baby albatross rely on this scooped up food for survival, they are mistakenly being fed plastic. Disposable lighters are found in abundance inside of deceased baby albatross. It is estimated that 1 million sea birds die each year as a direct result of ingesting plastic.
Instead of a "disposable" lighter, try something that doesn't pollute the planet and kill sea birds and marine animals. Matches are an excellent option, as is a reusable lighter. Zippo offers a variety of refillable lighters that look infinitely more badass than a plastic piece of sh!t. You can even get a rechargeable plasma lighter or electric arc lighter that would be zero waste.
My two cents: People can't change their behavior until they are educated about an issue. Here is your chance. Make a change and inform others to do the same. Animals shouldn't have to die because we are negligent assholes.
Rating: I'm giving Flick My BIC four out of five possible slow claps. Pollution and death is a direct result of the "disposable" lighter. Products that are the direct cause of animal pain, suffering, and death will always be rated higher.
A healthy baby albatross with a tummy full of delicious disposable lighters.
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