Circular economy minister Mary Creagh confirmed today (24 October 2024) that legislation has been in laid in parliament for the ban. Defra said that the UK government and devolved governments have worked closely and will align to bring the legislation into force. The Welsh government confirmed yesterday (23 October 2024) that it will also ban vapes in June 2025.
The ban is being brought in on environmental and public health grounds. Last year it was estimated that every week almost five million single-use vapes were either littered or thrown away in general waste in the UK.
Vape usage in England grew by more than 400% between 2012 and 2023, with 9.1% of the British public now buying and using these products.
Businesses will have until 1 June 2025 to sell any remaining stock and prepare for the ban coming into force.
Creagh said: “Single-use vapes are extremely wasteful and blight our towns and cities.
“That is why we are banning single use vapes as we end this nation’s throwaway culture.
“This is the first step on the road to a circular economy, where we use resources for longer, reduce waste, accelerate the path to net zero and create thousands of jobs across the country.”
Minister for public health and prevention, Andrew Gwynne, added: “It’s deeply worrying that a quarter of 11-15-year-olds used a vape last year and we know disposables are the product of choice for the majority of kids vaping today.
“Banning disposable vapes will not only protect the environment, but importantly reduce the appeal of vapes to children and keep them out of the hands of vulnerable young people.
“The government will also introduce the Tobacco and Vapes Bill – the biggest public health intervention in a generation – which will protect young people from becoming hooked on nicotine and pave the way for a smoke-free UK.”
The public is in favour of restricting the sale and supply of single-use vapes, with 69% of respondents to a government consultation in February 2024 supporting the proposals.
The ban was first proposed in January 2024 by the previous government but was not actioned until after the general election.
Banning single-use vapes to protect the environment
Single-use vapes contain lithium-ion in their batteries. This is a valuable material which is lost to landfill or incineration if vapes are not disposed of correctly.
This can also pose a risk to waste industry workers and infrastructure as the batteries are highly flammable.
In August this year, Veolia reported that on average it records one preventable fire a day from residents putting dangerous items – particularly vapes – in residual waste bins.
Even when vapes are correctly sent to recycling facilities, they usually have to be disassembled by hand – a process which the government said is slow, difficult and struggles to keep up with the pace of vape production.
Libby Peake, head of resources at Green Alliance, reacted to the news: “Disposable vapes are the last thing our children and the planet need, and for too long the market for them has been allowed to grow unchecked. Every single one wastes resources that are critical to a more sustainable economy – like lithium, needed for the batteries that power electric cars.
“When they’re littered, the nicotine, plastic and batteries they contain are all extremely harmful. Even when they’re put in a bin, their batteries can catch fire. The government is right to ban these harmful devices – it’s a welcome step in the journey towards an economy where waste is reduced by design.”
If you want to find out more about fire safety and prevention, make sure you attend the Fire Prevention and Control Conference 2024 in Birmingham on 13th November 2024. See the full agenda and book tickets here.
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