Government vape ban set for April 2025

In January, all four UK Governments announced their intention to ban single-use vapes as well as lowering the legal age at which tobacco products can be purchased, from 18 to 15 years.

A consultation launched in January has seen nearly 70% of respondents support the ban and other reforms, the Government said. It has now published the draft statutory instrument, which is set to come into force on 1 April, 2025.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will introduce separate legislation for their own bans.

This week has seen the vaping industry again criticise local authorities’ commitment to vape recycling, prompting an angry response from the Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee (Larac).

Director general of the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) John Dunne said that advocating a ban on disposable vapes while councils are not investing in collection was “the pot calling the kettle black”.

The UKVIA said 80% of 20 major city and London borough councils it surveyed had no plans to invest in vape collections in the coming year.

It said responses showed that 60% offered vape waste disposal at civic amenity sites or designated collection facilities, 10% had introduced vape waste containers in public places, but only one council had introduced kerbside or household vape collections.

“Even when single-use vapes are no longer available in retail outlets, there will still be millions of rechargeable and refillable vapes sold every year, not to mention a rise in black market products that will arise from the ban on disposables,” continued the UKVIA.

Larac said it was “profoundly disappointed” by the criticism, accusing the vaping industry of failing to invest in specialist recycling facilities. It said the current burdens placed on councils contradicted ‘polluter pays’ principles, calling for producers to bear the net costs of vape disposal.

Larac vice-chair James Ward said “We would welcome any measures such as in-store take-back at retailers, which would encourage safer and more responsible disposal, and believe the vape industry needs to invest in developing facilities to deal with vapes at end of life.”

And executive director Carole Taylor asked: “Why should public money be used to finance the collection and recycling of a product that makes huge profits for the firms that make and sell vapes?”

Barking & Dagenham Council leader Darren Rodwell, environment spokesperson for the Local Government Association, said: “It should not be the responsibility of councils, and by extension, taxpayers, to pick up after an industry that knowingly produces an inherently unsustainable product.

“Due to the nature of disposable vapes, they are harmful to the environment and expensive to recycle, which is why an outright ban will prove more effective than attempts to recycle more vapes.”

The Environmental Protection (Single-use Vapes) (England) Regulations 2024 statutory instrument, published this week, defines single-use vapes as any such device which is not refillable or rechargeable.

Any person who supplies, offers to supply or has in their possession for supply these devices will be considered to have committed an offence liable to a fine of up to £200.

This story was updated at 3.55pm to include comment from the LGA.