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The waste crisis driven by disposable vapes could continue after a ban comes into force as cheap new models flood the market, campaigners have warned.
Shops and online retailers will be prohibited from selling single-use vapes from Sunday.
The crackdown aims to curb their use among young people and reduce the litter and environmental impact.
Disposable vapes are non-refillable, unable to be recharged, and are often thrown away with general waste in black bins or littered rather than being recycled.
Green campaigners say vape producers have been developing new styles that are cheap but meet reusable criteria, meaning they essentially circumvent the ban.
Material Focus, which advocates for circular economies, said increasingly popular “big puff” vapes are cheaper per inhalation than disposable devices.
The group also highlighted pod-based styles, some of which are rechargeable and refillable but remain cheap enough for consumers to have little incentive to reuse them.
In many cases the products have a similar look, feel and price to disposable models, the campaigners said.
Scott Butler, executive director of Material Focus, said: “Without quick and extensive action, the threat of a ‘vapocalypse’ remains and new big puff and pod vape models are already contributing to an environmental nightmare.”
He added that vape company design teams have been “working their socks off to get new legal models on to the market” while the regulatory work was being carried out.
“To most users of these vapes, and shopkeepers even, they may not notice any difference in the old disposable vapes versus the new re-useable ones,” he said.
Mr Butler said that while the ban will take some of the most environmentally wasteful products off the market, the UK may need more flexible legislation to tackle challenges around new models and waste.
Hazel Cheeseman, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health, said the incoming regulation on its own “may be insufficient”.
“(The) Government cannot expect leopards to change their spots,” she said.
“If they want a vaping market with products that have minimal impact on the environment, do not appeal to teens and are safe and effective to help adult smokers quit, then further regulations are needed.”
Asked on Friday whether the legislation would be enough to stop vape producers flooding the market with similar products, nature minister Mary Creagh said: “Well let’s bring in the ban first. That’s what I would say.”
Ms Creagh said the tobacco and vapes Bill currently progressing through Parliament will look at further restrictions on vape sales and use, as she spoke to the PA news agency ahead of a visit to Sweeop Kuusakoski’s vape processing facility in Sittingbourne, Kent.
“I’m confident that my colleagues in the Department of Health will not hesitate to use those powers should what we’re doing this weekend not achieve the goals,” she said.
“But I’m confident that it is already sparking a conversation among young people … getting them to ask the questions, getting them to understand that there’s no such place as ‘away’ and that these are really difficult to recycle.”
She added that most big puff vapes on the market do not have replaceable coils so they are within the scope of the ban.
The Government is considering further ways to drive up levels of separately collected electrical waste including vapes as part of reforms to waste electrical and electronic equipment regulations.
Under current rules, vape producers already have a legal responsibility to finance their collection for recycling.
Vapes contain valuable and critical materials such as lithium and copper that are regularly binned in household waste.
If littered, they can also cause fires and other damaging or toxic impacts on the environment as well as wildlife.
To help drive up recycling rates, Material Focus is calling for retailers to make more collection points available as well as the launch of a major communications campaign to drive public awareness about recycling the devices.
Mr Butler said: “The majority of vapers are either unaware of where to recycle their vapes or don’t have a good experience of recycling them.”
John Dunne, director general of the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA), said: “This needs joined-up action from across the waste chain and more effort needs to be done to provide consumers with disposal points at the point of use and not just point of sale.”
He said that while the UKVIA works to educate consumers on sustainable vape use and recycling initiatives “more needs to be done”.
“We would encourage the Government to launch a national consumer education which includes responsible disposal of vapes, why vaping is much less harmful than smoking, and warning of the dangers of buying non-compliant products from the black market or other irregular sellers.”
Claire Shrewsbury, director of insights and innovation at the Wrap charity, said single-use vapes have been a “huge environmental issue”.
“This ban will help remove disposable vapes while giving people a reusable option,” she added.
“And with businesses which sell vapes legally obliged to provide recycling collections, awareness of this remains limited and needs to be better communicated.”
