The government is issuing a reminder to UK residents who frequently buy or sell vapes about an impending ban. In just 11 days, from June 1, 2025, it will become unlawful for businesses to sell or supply, offer to sell or supply, or possess for sale or supply all single-use or ‘disposable’ vapes.
From June 1, 2025, the sale of single-use vapes will be banned in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. This prohibition applies to all vapes, regardless of their nicotine content, although reusable vapes can still be sold.
Single-use vapes are not only wasteful but often end up as litter, damaging our environment and communities. They contribute to pollution and can present safety risks during waste disposal. This new regulation aims to lessen the adverse impact of disposable vapes to safeguard our resources and encourage sustainability.
When single-use vapes are thrown away in black bins, they either end up in landfills or are incinerated, leading to the loss of valuable resources. They pose a fire risk, threatening the safety of waste management workers, firefighters, and the general public, reports Yorkshire Live.
To tackle this problem, England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland will enforce a ban on the sale and distribution of single-use vapes starting June 1, 2025. The government also plans to limit access to vaping for children, as data shows a rising trend among those aged 11 to 15, likely due to the attractive packaging. NHS statistics from 2024 revealed that nearly 25% of children in this age group had tried vaping, and almost 10% were regular users.
What counts as a single use vape?
A single-use disposable vape is not designed to be reused. For a vape to be considered reusable, it must be both rechargeable and refillable. A vape is not deemed rechargeable if it has a battery that cannot be recharged or a coil that is difficult to replace or buy separately.
The coil, powered by the battery, creates heat to vaporise the e-liquid. In the case of a reusable vape, you might have the option to easily remove and replace the coil or swap out the pod or cartridge that houses it. A vape is considered non-refillable if it uses a single-use container, like a pre-filled pod, that isn’t available for separate purchase or replacement. This container can be a capsule, cartridge, pod, tank, or any other type designed to hold the vaping liquid for use in the vape.
It won’t be illegal to possess disposable vapes after June 1, as long as you don’t intend to sell or distribute them. After the ban comes into effect, any remaining disposable vapes must be recycled. Customers are encouraged to return any disposable vapes or parts to the shops where they were bought, and these shops are obliged to dispose of them responsibly.
The government recommends that they should only be discarded in designated vape bins for appropriate recycling. In addition to the restrictions already mentioned on vaping devices, reusable vapes will also need to meet wider regulatory requirements.
Vapes available for sale must comply with the following relevant regulations:
- the Classification, Labelling and Packaging of Chemicals Regulations (2015)
- the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 (TRPR)
- waste regulations that apply to electrical equipment and batteries – this includes the Batteries and Accumulators (Placing on the Market) Regulations 2008 and related legislation
What happens to those who continue to sell and supply them?
Various government bodies, such as the Border Force, have the power to inspect shops for illegal vapes and can report those breaking the rules. The penalties vary slightly depending on your location within the UK. Here’s a brief rundown of how it will be enforced in each region:
England
A statement on GOV.UK reads: “Local authority Trading Standards will lead on enforcing the ban within their area. If you suspect that someone is supplying single-use vapes, or if you have questions about adhering to the rules of the ban or how it’ll be enforced, contact your local Trading Standards service.
“In the first instance, enforcement authorities will apply civil sanctions (non-criminal penalties) such as a stop notice, compliance notice and fine of £200. Trading Standards will be able to seize any single-use vapes they find.
“If you continue to supply, offer to supply or have in your possession to supply single-use vapes, you may be charged with an unlimited fine, a prison sentence of up to two years, or both. You may also receive an additional cost recovery notice, where you must pay the costs incurred by Trading Standards while investigating your offence. This includes investigative, administrative and legal costs.”
Wales
In Wales, GOV.UK clarifies: “Local authorities in Wales will lead on enforcing the ban. If you suspect that someone is supplying single-use vapes, or if you have questions about following the rules of the ban or how it’ll be enforced, contact your local authority or Trading Standards service.”
The enforcement authorities may impose civil sanctions such as:
- a fixed fine of £200 or a variable fine of more than £200
- an enforcement cost recovery notice
- a non-compliance penalty
- a stop notice
The guidance continues: “Alternatively, you could be tried in a Magistrates’ or Crown Court. If you’re found guilty in a Magistrates’ Court of supplying, offering to supply or having in your possession to supply single-use vapes, or fail to follow a stop notice, you may face an unlimited fine, a prison sentence of no more than six months, or both.
“If you’re found guilty on conviction of one of these offences in a Crown Court, you may face up to two years in prison, an unlimited fine, or both. If you’re found guilty in a Magistrates’ Court of obstructing an enforcement officer or failing to follow their requests, you could face an unlimited fine.”
Scotland
In Scotland, local councils will take the lead in enforcing the ban on single-use vapes. According to GOV.UK: “They’ll report criminal cases to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, who are responsible for prosecuting offences under the regulations. If you suspect that someone is supplying single-use vapes, or if you have questions about following the rules of the ban or how it’ll be enforced, contact your local authority or Trading Standards service.”
The guidance further explains: “In the first instance, enforcement officers will have the option to issue a fixed penalty notice as an alternative to criminal prosecution. In the case of a first offence, the fixed penalty amount is £200, which if paid within 14 days would be discounted to £150.”
For those found guilty of offences related to single-use vapes in Scotland, the maximum penalties are outlined as follows:
- summary conviction to a fine of up to level 5 (currently, £5,000) on the standard scale
- conviction on indictment, up to 2 years in prison or a fine, or both
The statement adds: “If you fail to comply with an enforcement requirement without a reasonable excuse, you’ll be subject on summary conviction to a fine of up to level five (currently, £5,000) on the standard scale. If you fail to provide your identification details or give false or inaccurate identification details to an enforcement officer who wishes to give you a fixed penalty notice, you’ll be subject on summary conviction to a fine of up to level 3 (currently, £1,000) on the standard scale.”
Northern Ireland
According to GOV.UK: “The enforcement mechanism in Northern Ireland will be different from that in other parts of the UK. There are no civil sanctions for this offence, and the following penalties will apply.
“If you’re found guilty of supplying, offering to supply or having in your possession to supply single-use vapes, you may receive a fine of up to £5,000 on summary conviction in a Magistrates’ Court.
On further conviction of this offence in a Crown Court, you may face a prison sentence of up to two years, a fine, or both. If you fail to provide information that an enforcement body asks for, you may receive a fine on summary conviction of up to £5,000 in a Magistrates’ Court.”
Recycling vapes
Vapes, whether they are single-use or reusable, are classified as electrical items and are therefore covered by the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations.
If you sell vapes (referred to as being a ‘distributor’ in the regulations), you must offer a ‘take back’ service where you accept vapes and vape parts (such as used pods, coils or batteries) that customers return for recycling.
This includes any single-use vapes returned by customers after the sale and supply ban has come into force on June 1. The Office for Product Safety and Standards may take action against you if you do not have a way to safely recycle vapes and vape parts.
Unsafe storage of vapes or improper disposal is a fire risk. Vapes should be disposed of in vape bins only and regularly collected for recycling.
For further information on the ban, refer to DEFRA’s guidance on single-use vapes.
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