Scotland’s Vape Litter Problem Leads Ministers to Consider Disposable Vaping Ban

There is no quarrel over the number of disposable vape devices which litter Scotland’s streets. Unlike England, Scotland and Wales have environmental laws which strictly govern things like waterways, beaches, and what may or may not be left for the wilderness to decompose. The Scottish government are extremely protective of the wild places which attract tourism into the country… so it is no surprise that an increase in the use of disposable vapes – and the lack of proper disposal – has alarmed the Scottish Parliament enough for them to spring into action.

What’s Happening?

Scotland’s ministers are calling an urgent review of vaping products with a focus on how these products have an adverse impact on the environment. As more and more of these vape products are dropped in the street or thrown away in the countryside, the worse the problem becomes.

Zero Waste Scotland, who work towards maximising resource efficiency country wide, have been asked to review disposable vape products and their impact on the natural habitats across Scotland. They are to take improper disposal, recyclability, and international responses into consideration over the potential ban.

Lorna slater, a economy minister from the Scottish Parliament, warned that the disposable devices were both littering the street and that they caused a risk of fires within the proper waste disposal facilities.

The review will seek to account for how the disposables can be recycled, should it be possible. It also weighs up those vape devices which are ending up as litter on our streets, to try and devise ways to education and correct the public.

Environmentalists within Scotland have welcomed the move, saying that disposable vapes have environmental impacts which we do not know the repercussions of.

Is There an Environmentally Friendly Way to Vape?

If you are concerned about the potential ban on disposable vapes in Scotland, then there are more environmentally friendly ways to vape. Here at Vape Direct, we have researched this subject in the past. Refillable vapes are often recyclable, last a lot longer, and come with the possibility of 10ml-150ml refill bottles. These bottles can be dried out with a paper towel when they are empty, then popped into the recycle bin in your home. Although disposable vapes can be recyclable, they do not always make it to the recycling centres. For the vaping industry, it is cheaper to mine more lithium for the batteries than it is to recycle the old ones.

If you would like to lessen your environmental impact through vaping, opt for a standard vape device instead of using disposables. Use larger volume vape juice bottles to minimise plastic waste and try to recharge your vape only when it is nearly out of battery. You should also avoid disposing of excess juices down the sink, since this can pollute the water table.