The ban – which was announced last month – will prohibit the sale of single-use vapes in England, Scotland and Wales from 1 June 2025.
In the interim, all single-use vape retailers must still legally provide a takeback scheme for the products.
Biffa’s Daniel Barrett has warned business owners that they could be fined up to £5,000 for non-compliance at Magistrates court and unlimited fines if their case is taken to Crown court.
A recent survey from Biffa found that only 25% of small business owners have a vape takeback scheme in place, while only another 36% intend to implement a scheme in the future. This suggests a large number of SMEs are unaware of the financial risk not having a scheme in place puts their business in.
Barrett, head of reactive service sales, explained: “Often considered a single-use product with no life once out of liquid, disposable vapes actually contain many elements that can be recycled, if captured and processed properly.
“It’s therefore vital – for multiple reasons – that retailers have a takeback scheme in place as consumer confusion often sees vapes land in general waste or standard bins, causing avoidable fires in recycling centres. Giving your customers a convenient, reliable and legally compliant way to get rid of their used e-cigarettes allows for proper separation of materials and improves recycling rates when waste experts can safely sort the waste from other recyclable materials, preventing contamination along the way.
“Having the proper labelling and collection points will also benefit businesses by saving them from fines of up to £5,000 if a takeback scheme is in place; the good news, though, is that a method of doing so can often be rolled into your existing waste management solutions to save money – crucial, considering our recent survey found that cost is a barrier to sustainability for nearly half (45%) of SMEs.
“The upcoming ban will target the elimination of complex, hard-to-recycle single-use waste, in turn benefitting the UK’s circular economy.
“All retailers and businesses that generate vape waste must recognise, though, that the ban does not remove their obligations to ensure it is managed compliantly. Due consideration must also be given to the impact of the transition to new types of vape which are appearing in ever-increasing numbers even before the ban takes effect.”
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