LARAC Vs UKVIA – Arguing Over Freedom Of Information?

A great debate rages right now between the UK Vaping Industry Association and the Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee.

Today local councils and the UK’s largest vaping representative body are at loggerheads due to what seems to be a misunderstanding. The UKVIA fought back this week, making it clear that the organisation has taken part in multiple discussions and groups aimed at bettering vape recycling in England and Wales. Nevertheless, the request for a FOI document has ruffled a few feathers.

UKVIA Makes FOI Regarding Vape Recycling Figures

The story began when the UKVIA took out a freedom of information request from the UK government. The request is for access to the data surrounding the issues, costs, and numbers associated with vape recycling – one of the major issues prompting the recent tax hike and legislation overhaul into vape devices in England and Wales.

After making the request, the Local authority Recycling Advisory committee, or LARAC, seemed to play defensively. The LARAC is an association which deals directly with recycling implementation throughout the UK. They conduct local authorities across the country in recycling procedures.

LARAC Plays Defensively

In the recent argument, LARAC attacked the UKVIA after making their freedom of information request. This is an odd reaction to the collection of data which ought to have been public knowledge in the first place. Something stinks here… and the stinkers are trying to shift the blame to the UK vaping industry.

A spokesperson from the LARAC has said that the UKVIA demonstrates a lack of commitment to the cause of recycling disposable devices. They then suggested that the cost of recycling these devices is so hefty that we cannot expect the council authorities alone to fit the bill. They added that councils are ‘cash strapped’ and that the vaping industry makes ‘huge profits’ which could go towards recycling services.

Which, if we are not mistaken, is kind of what the UKVIA has been campaigning for all this time…

THE UKVIA Responded Appropriately

In what can only be described as a massive display of patience, the UKVIA responded with a statement of their own. In it, they addressed that they agreed, and that yes, manufacturers do have a part to play – but that so do local councils. Introducing vape collection points, for example, would reduce irresponsible discarding of the devices. Schemes like this would need government funding.

The UKVIA added that they were an organisation formed by the UK vaping industry and were not, in fact, the police. They added that almost 4.5 million adults have successfully used vapes to quit smoking, doing better for the environment than most organisations could achieve in a lifetime.

In response to allegations that they did not take an active part in finding a solution to the vape recycling problem they highlighted their involvement in creating the first ever environmental summit for the industry last year. The UKVIA have been involved in talks with UKgov over the new licensing plans.

Let’s not forget when the UKVIA created a Greenprint of what environmentally sustainable vaping would look like back in July last year.

The supposedly apathetic organisation finished by pointing out that they had invited the OPSS and DEFRA to an upcoming webinar to talk on the matter.

The Moral of the Story

We believe the moral of this story is that you should not mess with the UKVIA.

Don’t forget to stock up on disposable vapes, pods, and vape juice, through VapeDirect.com.

In addition, you can learn how to be a more environmentally woke vaper in our previous guide.