Khaberni - In an innovative experiment that redefined the concept of recycling, British YouTuber and engineer Chris Doll successfully transformed unexpected waste into an effective source of power after constructing an entire electric storage wall utilizing batteries extracted from 500 used e-cigarettes.
In his project that quickly attracted the attention of followers on social media, the 29-year-old managed to operate a kettle, a microwave, a fan, and his personal computer using power derived from batteries that were supposed to be thrown in the trash.
The project aims to highlight the amount of energy wasted daily, and how creativity can transform waste into practical solutions for clean energy.
Each disposable e-cigarette contains a small lithium-ion cell, about the size of an AA battery, which is often discarded after brief use despite its ability to retain charge.
Instead of letting them pollute the environment, Chris collected hundreds of devices from local stores, carefully dismantled them, tested each cell to select the usable ones, and then arranged them in consistent units using 3D-printed holders, similar to those used in electric car batteries.
After assembling 56 battery units connected into a massive wall system, he managed to generate a continuous electric current of 50 volts, which he later converted to 230 volts through a power inverter to operate standard household appliances. The final wall weighed about 38 kilograms and would have cost more than 2500 pounds if made with new batteries, but Doll achieved it with his sole effort and limited resources.
The result was astonishing: when the power was disconnected from his house, the lights stayed on, the kettle boiled water in less than two minutes, and the microwave worked as usual—all powered by energy extracted from discarded e-cigarettes.
According to the TecheBlog website, the wall generates about 2.52 kilowatts per hour of power, sufficient to run Chris’s house for eight continuous hours or his workshop for three days using power carefully.
Through his project, Chris aims to raise awareness about the hazards of single-use e-cigarettes, which contain rechargeable lithium batteries that end up in waste dumps, causing serious pollution and wastage of valuable resources.
The British innovator plans to expand his project soon by adding solar panels to charge the batteries during the day, making his system completely independent of the electrical grid.
This "Vaping Wall" project is not just an engineering achievement, but an inspiring environmental message reminding us that creativity can grant technology a "second life" and transform waste into energy that serves both humans and the environment together.
