Disposable vapes are set to be banned in the UK from 1 June 2025, the Government has announced.
New legislation outlining the prohibition has been laid before Parliament, as confirmed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) on Wednesday. Businesses will have until the deadline to sell their remaining stock and prepare for the ban's implementation.
The UK Government has worked closely with devolved administrations to align the enforcement dates across the country.
This move comes as part of wider efforts to protect young people from nicotine addiction, with Health Minister Andrew Gwynne noting that a quarter of 11-15-year-olds used a vape last year.
This move comes as part of broader efforts to protect young people from nicotine addiction
GettyThe UK Government's decision to ban disposable vapes also stems from growing environmental concerns.
Last year, it was estimated that nearly five million single-use vapes were either littered or discarded in general waste weekly in the UK, a fourfold increase from the previous year.
Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh stated: "Single-use vapes were 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."
Defra said vape usage in England has increased dramatically in recent years, growing by over 400 per cent between 2012 and 2023. Currently, 9.1 per cent of the British public buy and use vaping products.
The Government will also introduce the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, described as "the biggest public health intervention in a generation", aims to protect young people from nicotine addiction and pave the way for a smoke-free UK.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has promised to introduce a more ambitious bill than the Conservatives, with plans to present it before Christmas.
Libby Peake, head of resources at Green Alliance, commented: "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."
The ban on disposable vapes is expected to have far-reaching implications for both public health and environmental sustainability.
Health Minister Andrew Gwynne emphasised the importance of the ban, stating: "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."
He added: "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."
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The ban on disposable vapes is expected to have far-reaching implications for both public health and environmental sustainability
PACircular Economy Minister Mary Creagh said: "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."
Climate activist and environmental scientist, Less Waste Laura said: "Disposable vapes exploded onto the market, becoming perhaps the first mainstream disposable electronic device to litter our streets, and reflecting the relentless evolution of the tobacco industry.
"The UK Government’s action to ban these single-use products in 2025 is a welcome, and crucial, step. The ban isn’t just about cutting littered vapes; it challenges the broader rise in disposable technology driving a concerning larger increase in electronic waste, with its associated fire risk, and use of scarce materials. I welcome the ban from a health angle too, and see it as crucial to breaking the grip of vaping on our youth, alongside challenging the throwaway culture threatening to suffocate our planet."
