Disposable vapes ban comes into force - here's everything you need to know

ITV News

3 days ago

A ban on disposable vapes has come into force in the UK, making it illegal for retailers to sell them both in shops and online.
The change in law is aimed at reducing vaping amongst young people, as well as the litter they create.
The ban on disposable vapes - also known as single-use vapes - applies across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and includes all disposable vapes, whether or not they contain nicotine.
Retailers are still allowed to sell reusable vapes.
The crackdown follows the soaring use of disposable vapes in schools and a flood of plastic rubbish from the discarding of the devices.
What vapes are banned?
The government is banning single-use vapes - meaning they either have a battery that cannot be recharged or is not refillable.
They are typically thrown away with general waste in black bins or littered rather than recycled.
Even when they are recycled, they need to be taken apart by hand, while their batteries are a fire risk to recycling facilities and can leak harmful chemicals into the environment.
A reusable vape has a rechargeable battery and a refillable container that holds the vaping e-liquid.
Why has the government banned them?
The change in law has been brought in to prevent the environmental damage caused by vapes, while addressing health concerns from inhaling nicotine.
In 2023, up to five million single-use vapes were estimated to be either littered or thrown away every week in the UK – almost four times as many as the previous year.
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said England's vape usage had grown by more than 400% between 2012 and 2023, with 9.1% of Brits now buying and using the products.
Figures from the charity Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) suggest the number of vapers in Great Britain who mainly use single-use devices fell from 30% in 2024 to 24% in 2025, while the use of disposables by 18 to 24-year-old vapers fell from 52% in 2024 to 40% in 2025.
Defra said usage among young vapers remained too high, and the ban would 'put an end to their alarming rise in school playgrounds and the avalanche of rubbish flooding the nation's streets'.
Circular economy minister Mary Creagh said: 'For too long, single-use vapes have blighted our streets as litter and hooked our children on nicotine. That ends today.
'The Government calls time on these nasty devices.'
Who does the ban apply to?
The ban applies to all businesses and organisations that sell or supply single-use vapes in the UK. This includes:
retailers – such as convenience stores, market stalls, petrol stations, specialist vape shops and supermarkets
manufacturers
wholesalers
importers
healthcare settings and stop smoking services
Retailers must arrange to recycle any leftover stock of single-use vapes from 1 June 2025.
What will happen to retailers that continue to sell them?
Rogue traders who continue to sell them risk a fine of £200 in the first instance, followed by an unlimited fine or jail time for repeat offending.
How else is the government toughening smoking laws?
The separate Tobacco and Vapes Bill, aimed at creating the "first smoke-free generation," is currently working its way through Parliament.
The bill includes powers to potentially restrict the packaging, marketing and flavours of e-cigarettes.