January 2, 2020
The Art of Waste
By: Ken Magri SN&R
Artists find a way to repurpose used vape cartridges to highlight the waste-disposal crisis.
If the vape cartridge health crisis wasn’t enough bad news, another problem cropped up this year: empty THC and e-cigarette cartridge disposal. Due to leftover THC residue in used empties, the state has classified them as hazardous waste. That means recycling businesses won’t touch them, and waste management companies can only keep the cartridges in storage or throw them into landfills.
To bring attention to this issue, Up Kindness, a local nonprofit organization, is hosting an art exhibition called Carts for the Arts at the Atrium 916 gallery on Folsom Boulevard. On display until Jan. 28, a dozen local artists have tackled the subject of cartridge waste by using the products to make paintings and sculptures.