The Local Government Association (LGA) has called for a ban on the sale and manufacture of disposable vapes in England and Wales by 2024.
Concerns over sustainability has prompted the call, with the LGA describing disposable vapes as “a hazard for waste and litter collection and cause fires in bin lorries”.
The LGA urged a ban to come into effect “rapidly”, with similar bans being put forward in France and the wider EU which sparked worries that the closure of these markets could lead to more disposable vapes entering the UK.
It also expressed concern about the impact vaping is having upon children and young people, particularly the marketing of vapes with designs and flavours that could appeal to children. It advised strict measures to regulate the display and marketing of regular vaping products in the same way as tobacco products.
Chairman of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board Cllr David Fothergill said: “Councils are not anti-vapes, which are shown to be less harmful than smoking and have a place as a tool to use in smoking cessation. However, disposable vapes are fundamentally flawed in their design and inherently unsustainable products, meaning an outright ban will prove more effective than attempts to recycle more vapes.
“Single use vapes blight our streets as litter, are a hazard in our bin lorries, are expensive and difficult to deal with in our recycling centres. Their colours, flavours and advertising are appealing to children and the penalties for retailers selling them don’t go far enough,” he added. “Councils urge the Government to take this action to protect our planet, keep children safe and save taxpayers money.”
The proposals were criticised by director general of the UK Vaping Industry Association John Dunne. “While it is important to protect the environment, it is crucial to realise that smoking kills more than 200 UK smokers every day affecting families and loved ones across the country. Most smokers have used, and continue to use, single use vapes to help them quit combustible cigarettes.
“The low price, accessibility and ease of use of these products have played a key role in helping bring the UK smoking rate to an all-time low. A recent report from the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) concluded that converting smokers to vapers saved the NHS more than £320 million in a single year.”
He warned that a ban would lead to more illicit products hitting the UK market. “Experience across the world shows that where blanket bans have been introduced on regulated single use vapes, there is a massive influx of illegal, untested and potentially deadly black-market products which take their place and this is in nobody’s interest,” said Dunne. “It also makes absolutely no sense to call for a ban on disposable vapes while ignoring the much bigger problem of smoking and its related litter which accounts for 68% of all litter in the UK and discarded cigarette butts alone cost local authorities £40 million a year to clean up.
“The negative consequences of these proposals have not been thought through and this also looks like a move by the LGA to support cash-strapped councils who don’t want to invest in the local authority’s waste management capability required to support smokers transitioning to considerably less harmful vapes.”
Independent British Vape Trade Association CEO Gillian Golden, also warned against the proposed measures and that “banning single use vapes would do nothing to discourage rogue retailers”.
“Prohibition rarely works, and history tells us the black market will just grow to cover the gap. We recognise the concerns of the LGA and its members. However, we believe there are better ways to tackle the issues of youth access and vape waste. We need to consider approaches that will have less dire consequences for the potential of vaping to continue driving down adult smoking rates.”
According to research carried out by recycling campaign group Material Focus and Financial Times, 90% of the smaller vape and vape juice producers in the UK are failing to comply with environmental regulations.
The research, published in March 2023, also found that if all of the 138 million disposable single-use vapes that are bought in the UK per annum were financed to be recycled, as they should be by these producers, this would cost the producers up to £69 million per annum.
Separate research carried out by Material Focus in 2022 found 1.3 million disposable (single-use) vapes are thrown away every week.
Rising awareness of the issue has led to several recycling and take-back schemes being introduced in the UK.
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