Disposable Vapes Ban in UK: What Businesses need to know

Disposable vapes, also known as single-use vapes, waste valuable materials and often end up in regular trash or as litter. When thrown away carelessly, they harm wildlife, pollute neighborhoods, and release harmful chemicals into soil and waterways. Throwing these vapes in non-recyclable bins means they usually go to landfills or are incinerated, which wastes important resources. They can also cause fires, putting the public, firefighters, and waste workers at risk. To address these issues, the sale and distribution of single-use vapes will be banned across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland starting June 1, 2025.

What is a single-use vape

A single-use or disposable vape is a product that’s neither designed nor intended to be reused. For a vape to be considered reusable, it must be both rechargeable and refillable

A vape is not considered reusable if it is:

• rechargeable but not refillable
• refillable but not rechargeable

A vape is not considered rechargeable if it has a:

• A battery you cannot recharge
• Coil, you cannot buy separately, and easily be replaced

The component of the vape that uses battery power to generate heat and evaporate the e-liquid is called the coil. When using a reusable vape, you could be able to take out and replace the coil itself, or you might be able to take out and change the cartridge or pod that houses the coil. Also Read: How to Vape: A Beginner’s Guide to Vaping Safely and Enjoyably

• If a vape device contains a single-use container, such as a pre-filled pod that you cannot purchase separately and replace, or if the container cannot be refilled, it is not regarded as refillable.

The container contain:

• a capsule
• a cartridge
• a pod
• a tank
• anything designed to hold the vaping liquid and be used within the vape

What is Reuseable Vape

For a vape to be reusable, it has to:

• Contains a rechargeable battery that can be filled with liquid for vaping.

If the vape has a coil, it must be one that an ordinary user can change - this includes any portion of the product that heats or produces vapor when in contact with what is in it.

Selling or supplying a single-use vape

From 1 June 2025, selling, supplying, or possessing single-use vapes for sale anywhere in the UK will be illegal, both online and in-store.

The top enforcement agencies are:

• Border Force
• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
• Office of Product Safety and Standards (OPSS)
• Trading Standards

You can ask enforcement officers for formal ID when they visit your premises.

Enforcement by the UK nations:

England:

Local Trading Standards guide enforcement. The court can begin with stop/compliance notices and impose £200 fine penalties. If a person is charged with multiple offences, they could face unlimited fines, prison for up to two years and repayment of their debt.

Wales:

The local authorities enforce the smoking ban. Possible outcomes include fines (from £200+), costs being recovered by the council, stop notices or a prosecution in either a Magistrates’ or a Crown Court. A person who breaks these laws could be fined up to the legal limit and imprisoned for up to 2 years.

Scotland:

The police and other local authorities investigate crimes and deliver reports to prosecutors. If your offence is caught for the first time, the charge can be a fixed penalty notice (costing £200 or £150 if paid early). If someone does this more than once, they can be charged higher-than-average fines (£400 to £800). A conviction can result in paying a fine of up to £5,000 or spending up to 2 years in prison.

Northern Ireland:

There are no civil penalties. If an offender is found guilty, they may be sentenced to pay a fine of up to £5,000 or spend up to 2 years in prison. If you fail to hand over information requested by the authorities, you may be fined.

What are Reusable Vapes?

Usually, a reusable vape is designed with:

• A device that allows you to replace your e-liquid with a new bottle whenever you run out
• These phones have a battery that can be charged via USB or USB-C.
• Coils that can be taken out and swapped with others

There are just two main types.

• Refillable vapes: In vapes like this, you reach the tank's port to refill and replace the coil yourself.
• Pod-based vapes

Also Read: Single-use vapes ban: what businesses need to do You can replace the entire pre-filled pod (with coil) whenever you need a fresh one. Pods that you empty, recharge and refill, and change the coil separately. For a device to be considered reusable, its replacement parts must be available individually for purchase at the store or on the website. Vapes are electrical items, whether they are single-use or reuseable, which means they are covered by the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations. If you sell vapes (described 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.