UK councils call for a ban on disposable vapes by 2024

LONDON, July 15 (Reuters) – Councils in England and Wales have called on the UK government to ban the sale of single-use vaporizers by 2024 on environmental and health grounds.

The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents local councils in England and Wales, said it was crucial the ban came into force quickly, as with the European Union proposing a ban in 2026 and France implementing a ban in December this year, there was a risk that as the markets close, disposable vapes could flood the UK.

The LGA said 1.3 million disposable vapes were thrown away every week. They posed a hazard to trash and garbage collection and started fires in garbage trucks.

He said the single-use vapes were designed as a single unit, so the batteries cannot be separated from the plastic, making them nearly impossible to recycle without going through special treatment.

The LGA said the councils were also concerned about the impact vaping was having on children and young people.

“Disposable vapes have fundamental flaws in their design and are inherently unsustainable products, which means that an outright ban will prove more effective than attempts to recycle more vapes,” said David Fothergill, chair of the LGA’s Community Wellness Board.

The UK Vaping Industry Association defended disposable vapes.

“Disposables have been around for over a decade and provide a low-priced, accessible product that helps smokers to quit smoking tobacco,” John Dunne, the association’s director general, told BBC radio on Saturday.

He said the vaping industry was working hard to minimize its environmental impact and warned that a ban could see more black market products coming into the UK.

Reporting by James Davey; Edited by David Evans

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