Update: Why Are disposable Vapes Banned in the UK?

Contrary to popular belief, disposable vapes have NOT been banned in the UK. Furthermore, the UK government insist that they have no plans to ban these devices in the future.

Recent news reports have led to conjecture that single use vape devices would be banned in a government announcement given in March.

This announcement came following an investigation into disposable vape devices in the UK. The investigation sparked after Elfbar, a popular vape device manufacturer in the UK, were found to have overfilled their watermelon flavour device.

Elfbar Started the Investigation

The tank, which contained more than the legal UK limit of 600 puffs, was supposed to match the Chinese firm’s US market. There was neither excessive nicotine levels nor harmful vape juice in these devices, they were simply overfull.

The manufacturer came clean and paid the fines, but some Elfbar products still remain banned on supermarket shelves in Britain. This has prompted the rumour that all disposable vapes will be banned in the UK. Fortunately the government has refused this calling, with no future plans to ban disposables.

UKGov’s Position

The UK government have decided against a full ban on disposable vapes. Instead, they say that vape suppliers need to take accountability for the recycling and disposal of these disposable devices. The government wish the supporters of e-cigarettes to take a firmer stance on recycling, instead. However, they are not overlooking the environmental impact that these throw away devices have on our environment.

The government will begin urging each vape shop to establish a trade in point, where old devices can be safely dropped off, ready for recycling. They also plan to take these measures to recycling plants. Every week, Britain throws away over a million disposable devices. By encouraging people to switch to refillable options, we could spare the environmental harm caused.

The production of these devices uses lithium, a highly sought after mineral in the modern world. Lithium makes most rechargeable batteries nowadays and is in increasing demand.

Recycling centres have put forth their opinions. Disposable vapes are easy to recycle, but they must be broken down by hand. This process is time consuming but does allow disposable vapes to be broken down into their individual parts. Since lithium is so essential to modern production lines, it is worth the recycling plants time to go through these stages.

What’s Next for disposable Vapes?

With greater regulation and attention to the recycling process, UK vape shops could tackle the environmental issues which these one use devices bring. We can expect tougher regulations written in as amendments to the existing regulations on vape devices in the coming months. In the meantime, consider making the switch to a vape kit, instead.

Where to Buy a Refillable Vape in the UK?

To purchase a refillable vape kit, pod device, or vape mod, you can buy them from Vapedirect.com. We offer a full range of refillable vapes – and we even sell the Elfbar flavour vape juices, allowing you to enjoy the same great taste of your disposable vape device, but now in a reusable vape device. Need further help to make the switch? See our article about how much money a refillable device will save you in the long run.