Latest news with #WEEE
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Health
- The Irish Sun
Vape ban sparks panic buying as shops slash prices to beat deadline in just HOURS that could land you with £600 fine
VAPE users have started panic buying in bulk as shops slash prices ahead of the looming ban. Brits could be fined hundreds of pounds when 1 Vape users have been "bulk-buying" and "panicking" ahead of the ban Credit: Getty Both online and in store outfits will be affected by the ban and will include all vapes, regardless of whether they contain nicotine. "The maximum amount those who breach their household waste duty of care could be fined will increase from £400 to £600," the Government website WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) stated. Refillable vapes will still be available after the ban is imposed - but this hasn't stopped users Jack Leadbeater, 22, who works at Eco Vape on Exchange Walk in Nottingham, told the BBC people have been "bulk-buying" in response to new legislation. Read More "They've just been bulk-buying, really, making [sure] they can have them for as long as possible after the ban," "With the ones that they're getting, they're just using them and then they don't have to worry about them, they just chuck them away, whereas with the pods and stuff, a lot of people see it as a hassle and they don't really want to go for that." Meanwhile, Douglas Eccles, from Rustic Vapez, agreed with the ban but noted how it's left customers "panicking". "Everyone's panicking thinking all disposables are gone from Sunday, but it's not going to go that way," he said. Most read in The Sun "A lot of people are bulk-buying them because a lot of shops are doing them really cheap because they know that any stock they've got from Sunday they've got to take off the shelves. "At the end of the day it's business, you don't want to lose out." Teen told he was coughing up 'pints' of blood due to a stomach ulcer caused by kebabs - 'excessive vaping' was to blame The ban comes as figured revealed fourteen per cent of over-16s puffed on e-cigarettes between January 2024 and January 2025 — the same percentage as the previous year. The crackdown will also halt the scourge of plastic littering after five million vapes a week were thrown away in 2023 — quadruple the number from 2022. The move follows mounting fears that more kids are illegally buying disposables, many of which now come in bright packaging with flavours including bubblegum, candy floss and cola. Ministers also want to stop users trashing the environment with the throwaway devices. More than 40 tonnes of lithium, used in the batteries, was thrown out with disposable vapes in the UK in 2022 — enough to power 5,000 electric cars. Scientists believe the ban has recently dented the popularity of single-use vapes. Study author Dr Sarah Jackson said: 'The research cannot tell us why vaping rates have levelled off. "But in the past we have seen changes in smoking habits before a policy change. 'Action is likely still required to reduce high vaping rates. "But now the situation has stabilised, policymakers may be sensible to avoid stricter options that might deter smokers from using vapes to quit.' The University College London study of 88,611 people in It went from 63 to 35 per cent among young adults. WEEE waste professionals said: "Many people mistakenly believe that vapes can be tossed into their regular bin at home, but they're actually classed as WEEE, which has strict rules for disposal. When vapes are disposed of in household bins, this can lead to fires in bin trucks and at waste management sites, posing a huge risk to workers and the public." The worrying statistics come amid more and more vaping horror stories. A self-confessed "vaping addict" says Karlee Ozkurt, 20, vaped for five years, after Now she fears she won't live past the age of "40 or 50". Karlee claims taking up e-cigarettes was the "worst decision" she ever made and it remains her biggest regret in life. Meanwhile, a man has urged people quit vaping after he was left with Joseph Lawrence, 25, puffed on e-cigarettes every day for years before being rushed to A&E with an almost collapsed lung. Plus, one parent was horrified when he A youngster was then left in coma, with another "vomiting blood". Other school children have required medical attention after vaping, falling unconscious while experiencing horrifying heart palpitations, and dizziness. What are the new vape laws? Ministers have pledged to crackdown on poorly regulated vapes and e-cigarettes following an explosion in the number of teenagers who use them. New rules for manufacturers and shopkeepers are expected to come into force in 2025. They are set to include: Higher tax rates paid on vapes increase the price and make it harder for children to afford them A ban on single-use vapes in favour of devices that can be recharged A ban on colourful and cartoonish packaging that may appeal to youngsters Tighter controls on flavourings and a ban on unnecessarily sweet or child-friendly ones like bubblegum and candy More regulation on how and where they are displayed in shops, potentially putting them out of sight Harsher penalties for shops caught selling them to under-18s The ban on disposable vapes is part of ambitious government plans to tackle the rise in youth vaping. A report published by Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) found 20.5 per cent of children in the UK had tried vaping in 2023, up from 15.8 per cent in 2022 and 13.9 per cent in 2020.
Euronews
5 days ago
- Business
- Euronews
Circular Economy Act: what are the European Commission's tools to get the economics right?
'We have a lot of policy already, what we need is to get the economics right', European Commissioner for the Environment Jessika Roswall told Euronews. Roswall is the architect of the EU Commission's future Circular Economy Act, which is to succeed the Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP) adopted five years ago. The initiative should include updating existing rules to foster 'circular competitiveness' and boost the EU's recycling rate. In 2022, only 12% of products consumed came from recycling. The plan could include a revision of the WEEE (Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Directive, which governs the rules and targets for the collection and treatment of e-waste, from small batteries to photovoltaic panels. In almost 20 years, the WEEE Directive has led to a tenfold increase in the amount of e-waste recovered and properly treated in the EU, but not all member states have achieved the targets set. Quantities of WEEE are still not collected, improperly treated or illegally exported. The EU wants to increase the proportion of recovered materials in order to reduce the proportion of virgin materials imported for new electrical and electronic equipment. The Circular Economy Act should focus on the recovery of critical raw materials. This strategy is presented as a means of strengthening the EU's economic security against a backdrop of international trade tensions. 'The circularity numbers are too low. This geopolitical situation must be the time when we actually go circular', Commissoner Roswall told Euronews. In 2024, the EU adopted the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRM Act), which is intended to strengthen the EU's security of supply of a series of metals and other components essential to the green and digital transitions. The European Union has drawn up a regularly updated list of materials considered 'critical', such as rare-earth metals, copper or cobalt, and another of materials considered 'strategic', such as bismuth and magnesium metal. The EU's objective is to achieve a recycling rate of 25% of CRMs, compared with around 1% today. This requires investment in the necessary infrastructure as part of the Clean Industrial Deal presented last year. The circular economy should also apply to other sectors of the economy, such as construction, textiles and the automotive industry. The Act in preparation is set to provide for the revision of the Waste Framework Directive and promote the creation of a 'common market for waste'. Despite efforts at harmonisation, the existing fragmentation between national requirements, as in the case of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) systems, raises problems of competition and costs. An intra-EU waste market is wanted by Brussels, which conversely recently tightened the rules against the export of waste outside the EU. 'We need to change our mindset and see waste as an asset', Roswall added, specifying that she also considered water as waste. The EU recently strengthened its legislation on urban wastewater. It plans to maximise the reuse of water for irrigation in the continent's largest treatment stations. Alongside recycling, the EU is also encouraging the extension of product lifetimes. The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) entered into force in 2024, and is aimed at creating economic opportunities in remanufacturing, recycling or repair. The European Commission has put forward the concept of a 'right to repair', in the form of incentives to make repairing products easier and more attractive, in order to reduce waste. A directive aimed at 'Empowering consumers for the green transition' was also adopted to offer consumers better information on the products durability. According to a 2020 survey, 77% of Europeans said they would rather repair their goods, but had to buy new ones because of the lack of repair services.
Irish Times
25-05-2025
- Irish Times
It's time to stop hoarding old smartphones and laptops
I'm not proud of the fact that I have eight old mobile phones in a drawer of a filing cabinet in my home office. Admittedly, they constitute a family repository but when you add in one old laptop and two unused desktop computers, that's a lot of rare-earth minerals in one room of an average family home. Mobile and smartphones are not even the most hoarded small consumer electronic devices in European households, according to the Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Forum, an international association of more than 50 producer-responsibility organisations. Headphones, remote controls, clocks, irons, external hard drives, routers, keyboards and computer mice all come in ahead of them. In its survey, the WEEE Forum found that possible reuse, plans to sell or give away and sentimental value were the three top reasons why people hoarded electronic equipment. 'We like to hold on to things that we perceive have value, particularly if they don't take up too much space. But this doesn't help you or the planet,' says Elizabeth O'Reilly, head of environmental compliance at WEEE Ireland. WEEE Ireland collects electrical and electronic items for recycling from civic amenity sites and retailers as part of an EU compliance scheme. READ MORE O'Reilly believes that Ireland is on the cusp of change when it comes to initiatives to promote reuse, repair and trade-in of small electronic items such as mobile phones. [ We've been sold the idea that replacing instead of fixing is faster, but is it really? Opens in new window ] 'The European Commission is aware that most of the rare-earth minerals used in smartphones are geographically controlled outside of Europe and it now wants to get 25 per cent of strategic and critical rare-earth minerals from recycled content in Europe,' she says. Strategic materials include steel, and while lithium is also a valuable metal. Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is the fastest-growing waste stream in Europe, according to an Environmental Protection Agency-funded research paper. That 2021 study found that frugality and waste avoidance were the overwhelming drivers for consumers to store electrical equipment that was no longer in use. 'A lack of connection between long-term storage and pressure on virgin raw material extraction means this is likely to persist,' wrote Yvonne Ryan-Fogarty and others in An Investigation into WEEE Arising and Not Arising in Ireland . A period of home renovation is deemed to be a critical moment for the disposal of WEEE from householders. The study suggested that the convenience and visibility of WEEE recycling needed to be increased. More repair, preparation for reuse and reuse opportunities would assist consumers and businesses to make connections to appropriate treatment rather than waste avoidance, which is the current practice, according to the researchers. A 2013 report by the UK environmental charity Green Alliance claimed that a reused iPhone retained 48 per cent of its value while the value of a recycled iPhone came in at less than 1 per cent (0.24 per cent). And the production of a new smartphone is responsible for about 85 per cent of the device's total lifetime carbon footprint. [ Old tech hanging around the house? Here is how to make unused devices useful again Opens in new window ] More recent initiatives such as Apple Trade In, Swappie and all offer money back on recent iPhone models, which incentivises reuse. The chain of CeX shops around Ireland also buys recent models of smartphones in good condition. Other older models – such as most of the ones in my drawer – are only fit for recycling, however. Buying second-hand smartphones is also getting easier with sites such as offering customers 30-day free trials before committing to purchasing refurbished phones. Each refurbished product also has a 12-month warranty. However, offering consumers clear information where to drop off or send old devices for reuse rather than recycling is a necessary first step to building up this second-hand marketplace. Assuring customers that their devices will be forensically wiped of all data is also essential before such devices are prepared for resale. 'People aren't afraid to buy second-, third- or fourth-hand cars but we need a registration system for reuse operators of electronic equipment that can be shared with the public,' says O'Reilly. Old iPhones and mobile phones found in a drawer. Photograph: Bryan O'Brien O'Reilly also believes that customers should be informed at the point of sale about where they can go for repairs and where they can trade in their electronic products for reuse or recycling. 'Manufacturers are obliged to include a repair sheet and an extended warranty under the EU Directive on Repair of Goods,' she says. 'We need this information digitally available to consumers when they are buying their phones.' The National Centre for the Circular Economy at the Rediscovery Centre in Ballymun, Dublin is planning to launch a new citizen information platform ( later this year, which is expected to have links to repair centres for almost everything, including small electronic devices. Already, the countrywide online directory allows electronic equipment repair shops list their services for free, although there are no quality checks on the businesses that list on the site. There is also no Irish data on what percentage of smartphones and other electronic devices are repaired and refurbished in Ireland. A report in 2024 estimated that about 10 per cent of the European smartphone market – whose total value was estimated at €100 billion – consisted of refurbished devices. We need advertising campaigns encouraging people in the public and private sector to consider refurbished and remanufactured devices instead of buying new — Anthony O'Dea Anthony O'Dea, commercial director of Green IT, a company that refurbishes and remanufactures IT equipment for businesses, the public sector and charities, says there has been a lack of trust of products due to fears over outdated operating systems. 'Yet there is a growing market driven by legitimate customer interest – particularly in the education sector,' says O'Dea. Under the Government's Green Public Procurement scheme, Green IT signed a €30 million contract in May 2024 to supply 60,000 laptops over four years. 'This will represent 12 per cent of public-sector end users and is the only contract of its size and type in the EU,' says O'Dea. Such contracts may bring momentum to the reuse of electronic equipment across the corporate and consumer sectors. O'Reilly says: 'The second whole of Government circular economy strategy – which is due very soon – will be the clearest blueprint yet to drive repair, reuse and remanufacturing.' O'Dea adds that compliance schemes such as WEEE Ireland also need to promote reuse more. 'We need advertising campaigns encouraging people in the public and private sector to consider refurbished and remanufactured devices instead of buying new,' he says. A new training scheme for technicians who can repair consumer electronic goods due to start in the autumn of 2025 should help expand the second-hand market. 'The key to having more trained workers is that there will be a quality standard and that consumers won't be afraid to ask can their electronic device be repaired and trust that it will be repaired correctly,' says O'Reilly.
The Sun
23-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Major fire warning to anyone who vapes as huge threat of £6,000 fines to be enforced in just days
WITH an impending vape ban looming, customers and businesses have been warned of the potential risks of disposing of vapes. Using lithium batteries, disposable vapes pose a huge risk of fire if they're not properly disposed of. 4 They will be banned under UK Government legislation coming into effect on June 1. Ahead of the ban has warned customers and businesses to dispose of the devices properly. More than 40 tonnes of lithium, used in the batteries, was thrown out with disposable vapes in the UK in 2022 — enough to power 5,000 electric cars. Businesses could face hefty fines of up to £6,000 and customers could inadvertently start fires if they are careless in throwing away their old vapes. reports that any shop or other business that sells more than £100,000 of electrical goods per year must provide an in-store solution where customers can dispose of products on a one-for-one basis. To ensure they're compliant businesses must also provide and display information to customers about the take back service they offer, keep a record of all WEEE items they collect and dispose of and maintain records of how they tell customers about their take back scheme. Shops or companies that sell less than £100,000 of electrical goods a year should sign up to the Distributor Takeback Scheme (DTS). A charge applies for this based on the businesses size and its sales. The DTS provides an exemption from the in store take back requirement of WEEE (including vapes) when a new equivalent EEE item (a vape) is bought. This scheme allows businesses to pay a fee that covers any WEEE obligations until 31 December 2026. Any businesses that fail to adhere to the regulations risks a fine of up to £6,000 and further prosecution. Customers tossing vapes into a regular bin could lead to fires and environmental damage. The devices are classed as WEEE products and must be disposed of appropriately. What are the new vape laws? Ministers have pledged to crackdown on poorly regulated vapes and e-cigarettes following an explosion in the number of teenagers who use them. New rules for manufacturers and shopkeepers are expected to come into force in 2025. They are set to include: Higher tax rates paid on vapes increase the price and make it harder for children to afford them A ban on single-use vapes in favour of devices that can be recharged A ban on colourful and cartoonish packaging that may appeal to youngsters Tighter controls on flavourings and a ban on unnecessarily sweet or child-friendly ones like bubblegum and candy More regulation on how and where they are displayed in shops, potentially putting them out of sight Harsher penalties for shops caught selling them to under-18s The ban on disposable vapes is part of ambitious government plans to tackle the rise in youth vaping. A report published by Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) found 20.5 per cent of children in the UK had tried vaping in 2023, up from 15.8 per cent in 2022 and 13.9 per cent in 2020. If vapes with lithium batteries are crushed or damaged they can produce immense heat. This can potentially set bin lorries and waste management sites ablaze. Disposable vapes that end up in landfill sites could leak nicotine, battery acid and chemicals from plastics into the environment. Customers and businesses have been urged to dispose of their vapes appropriately before the ban comes into effect. Vapers have been warned away from stockpiling the disposable products as well. A stockpile of devices using lithium batteries could pose a potential fire risk in the home. Poor storage conditions can dramatically shorten the shelf life of disposable vapes and lead to serious risk of fire. Retailers could face fines of up to £200 if they continue to sell disposable vapes after June 1. WEEE waste professionals said: "Many people mistakenly believe that vapes can be tossed into their regular bin at home, but they're actually classed as WEEE, which has strict rules for disposal. "When vapes are disposed of in household bins, this can lead to fires in bin trucks and at waste management sites, posing a huge risk to workers and the public." 4 4
The Sun
22-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Major warning to anyone who vapes as £600 fines to hit in just DAYS for common mistake
VAPE users have been warned they could be fined hundreds of pounds when fresh legislation comes into effect. From June 1, it will be illegal for businesses to sell or supply single-use vapes. Both online and in store outfits will be affected by the ban and will include all vapes, regardless of whether they contain nicotine. "The maximum amount those who breach their household waste duty of care could be fined will increase from £400 to £600," the Government website WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) stated. Fourteen per cent of over-16s puffed on e-cigarettes between January 2024 and January 2025 — the same percentage as the previous year. The crackdown will also halt the scourge of plastic littering after five million vapes a week were thrown away in 2023 — quadruple the number from 2022. The move follows mounting fears that more kids are illegally buying disposables, many of which now come in bright packaging with flavours including bubblegum, candy floss and cola. Ministers also want to stop users trashing the environment with the throwaway devices. More than 40 tonnes of lithium, used in the batteries, was thrown out with disposable vapes in the UK in 2022 — enough to power 5,000 electric cars. Scientists believe the ban has recently dented the popularity of single-use vapes. Study author Dr Sarah Jackson said: 'The research cannot tell us why vaping rates have levelled off. "But in the past we have seen changes in smoking habits before a policy change. Katie Price caught VAPING on train in front of fuming passengers… before admitting 'it's not the first time' to pals 'Action is likely still required to reduce high vaping rates. "But now the situation has stabilised, policymakers may be sensible to avoid stricter options that might deter smokers from using vapes to quit.' The University College London study of 88,611 people in England, Wales and Scotland between 2022 and 2025 also found use of disposable vapes last year tumbled. It went from 63 to 35 per cent among young adults. WEEE waste professionals said: "Many people mistakenly believe that vapes can be tossed into their regular bin at home, but they're actually classed as WEEE, which has strict rules for disposal. When vapes are disposed of in household bins, this can lead to fires in bin trucks and at waste management sites, posing a huge risk to workers and the public." What are the new vape laws? Ministers have pledged to crackdown on poorly regulated vapes and e-cigarettes following an explosion in the number of teenagers who use them. New rules for manufacturers and shopkeepers are expected to come into force in 2025. They are set to include: Higher tax rates paid on vapes increase the price and make it harder for children to afford them A ban on single-use vapes in favour of devices that can be recharged A ban on colourful and cartoonish packaging that may appeal to youngsters Tighter controls on flavourings and a ban on unnecessarily sweet or child-friendly ones like bubblegum and candy More regulation on how and where they are displayed in shops, potentially putting them out of sight Harsher penalties for shops caught selling them to under-18s The ban on disposable vapes is part of ambitious government plans to tackle the rise in youth vaping. A report published by Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) found 20.5 per cent of children in the UK had tried vaping in 2023, up from 15.8 per cent in 2022 and 13.9 per cent in 2020.
