NFCC responds to Government ban on sale and supply of single-use vapes

Single-use vapes are not rechargeable or refillable. Typically, they’re discarded as general waste in a bin or littered, rather than being recycled, which contributes towards a ‘flood of litter’ on the nation’s streets. Even when they are sent to recycling facilities, they usually have to be disassembled by hand: a slow and difficult process, and one which will struggle to keep up with the pace of vape production. Further, the lithium-ion batteries contained inside vapes can present a fire risk for workers in the waste industry.

Last year, Materials Focus 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 and the equivalent of eight being thrown away every second. In 2022, more than 40 tonnes of lithium from single-use vapes was discarded, which is the same amount used to power 5,000 electric vehicles.

Making the sale of single-use vapes illegal delivers on the Government’s commitment to act on this important issue, kick-starting the push towards a circular economy and helping to curb the rise of young people taking up vaping.   

Vape usage in England grew by more than 400% between 2012 and 2023, with 9.1% of the British public now buying and using these products. The long-term health impacts of vaping are unknown. The nicotine contained within them can be highly addictive, with withdrawal sometimes leading to anxiety, trouble in concentrating and persistent headaches.

Circular economy minister Mary Creagh said: “Single-use vapes are extremely wasteful and blight our towns and cities. We’re banning single-use vapes in a bid to end this nation’s ‘throwaway’ culture.”

Creagh concluded: “This is the first step on the road to a circular economy, wherein we’ll use resources for longer, reduce waste, accelerate the path to ‘Net Zero’ and create thousands of jobs across the country.”

Response from the NFCC

Responding to the Government’s announcement, Rob Barber (the NFCC’s lead on waste fires) commented: “This announcement from central Government is very welcome. Millions of single-use vapes are binned in household rubbish each year. Not only are they bad for the environment, but they pose a significant fire risk in the waste disposal industry.”

Barber continued: “We know that battery fires in bin lorries and at waste sites are at an all-time high, with research by Material Focus showing that there were over 1,200 such fires in 2023. Vapes contain lithium-ion batteries, which can cause fires when crushed or damaged. These fires can be explosive, spread rapidly, reignite and produce toxic gases, in turn posing a risk to firefighters and those individuals working in the waste industry. The ban on single-use vapes will help to reduce the number of potential ignition sources that enter the waste industry, leading to fewer waste fires.”

In conclusion, Barber asserted: “A crucial next step would be the introduction of robust product safety standards for the rechargeable vape industry so that we don’t see people trying to fill the void left by single-use vapes by turning to cheap unregulated products from the global marketplace.”