UK is about to outlaw them. Australia already has. EU members are amending their laws. In America, it's illegal to sell most of them.
The British government has confirmed - making good on the previous government’s pledge - that disposable vapes will be banned from June 2025.
Single use vapes contain small batteries, precious metals and plastics, and have become a defining symbol of throwaway culture. Greenpeace say that approximately 5 million are binned each week in the UK.
Whilst the new ban only affects England, the further good news is that Wales and Scotland have confirmed that they will do the same, and Northern Ireland is expected to follow suit too. Some critics question why the ban can’t come in sooner, though environmental groups generally praised the move.
“Over 40 tonnes of lithium was thrown out with disposable vapes in the UK in 2022 - that’s enough to make batteries for 5,000 electric cars,” said Greenpeace, which welcomed the ban. “For a green transition, we need to get the most use out of scarce minerals like lithium.”
Belgium was the first European nation to ban disposable vapes, and many others are heading in that direction too. Australia banned the domestic sale, manufacture, and possession of disposable vapes earlier this year, in July.
Meanwhile, across the pond, disposable vapes are a big business too despite the fact that most are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, so it is illegal to sell them. In June this year, the FDA and U.S. Department of Justice announced a new task force to get these illegal e-cigarettes off store shelves. This task force is a step in the right direction toward preventing the unique harms to public health and our environment from disposable vapes.
Photo credit: Peter van Niuewehuizen | CC-BY-4.0