On the 1st June 2025, the Government ban on disposable vapes will be called into action.
Last October, the Government confirmed there will be a ban put in place for England and Wales, with the exception of rechargeable and refillable devices.
Sheffield City Councillor Joe Otten, Chair of Waste and Street Scene Policy Committee, said: “This is an important new law, and we welcome it in Sheffield. It will mean that the millions of single use vapes thrown away into landfill or thrown away as litter every week will be off our streets. That can only be good for all of us in terms of improving our local environment.”
He added that the City Council: “Will do everything we can to support businesses who need advice or who have questions about this new law so that they operate within the new rules.”
The Government highlighted the environmental and health issues that vapes can cause, including leaking harmful waste like battery acid, lithium, and mercury into the environment.
It has also not been long enough for the NHS to determine long-term effects of vaping, but short-term effects include shortness of breath and nausea.
The Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra) said vape usage in England had grown by more than 400% since 2012, with 9% of the British public now buying and using the products (2023).
Syed, the Owner of My Phone Surgery in Broomhill, is supportive of the upcoming ban. His shop also sells vapes.
He said: “I don’t promote them.
“When I started the business five years ago, I didn’t originally sell vapes, but customers were asking for them. The young generation prefer to vape.”
Syed added that he knows vaping is ‘not good for your health’ and says the ban will be an overall positive even though he sells vapes within his business.
Sheffield City Council said they ‘will continue to enforce the law around the sale of vapes’. Any business found in possession of vapes after this time may face fines of £200, or up to two years in prison.
For advice on recycling vapes, visit Recycle your electricals website.