The Government has confirmed that the proposed implementation of a ban on disposable vaping products will be delayed to 1 June 2025, to allow businesses enough time to prepare.
With eight vapes thrown away every second, Environment Secretary Steve Reed vows to end “throwaway culture” blighting our streets. Last year, it was estimated that almost five million single-use vapes were either littered or thrown away in general waste every week in the UK, almost four times as much as the previous year.
The ban was initially proposed by the previous Government with a planned implementation date of 1 April.
With this announcement, from 1 June, the only vaping products available for sale legally in the UK must be refillable and rechargeable, intended for multiple uses as opposed to so-called disposable vapes which are single-use.
Read more on the disposable vape ban
Retailers react to the extended deadline for selling disposable vapes
What is the impact on suppliers to the vape industry?
Circular Economy Minister, Mary Creagh, said: ”Single-use vapes waste precious resources and blight our towns, parks, and cities. That’s why we will be banning single use vapes as we take action to end our throw-away 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.”
One of the aims of the ban is to stop them from being thrown into bins with general waste, where they typically end up in landfill or being incinerated, posing a fire risk due to their lithium-ion batteries and also causing poor air quality. It will also stop plastic, lead and mercury from leaching into the environment, which can cause waterways to be contaminated and poison wildlife.
The Government has laid legislation to introduce the ban and, subject to parliamentary approval, businesses will have until 1 June 2025 to sell any remaining stock they hold and prepare for the ban coming into force. The UK Government and devolved governments have worked closely and anticipate aligning coming into force dates.
The Association of Convenience Store (ACS) has welcomed the delay, with chief executive James Lowman commenting: “We welcome the Government’s intention to provide businesses with enough time to prepare for the changes, including selling through existing product, working with suppliers to source alternative products and making structural changes to their displays in stores.
“This is still a challenging timetable for retailers and their supply chains, and we have developed comprehensive guidance on the ban which will be published shortly to help businesses with the transition.”
The ACS has previously highlighted to officials the importance of a sell-through period of at least six months to enable businesses to prepare.
No comments yet