£600 warning to anyone who vapes from the start of june

WITH THE BAN OF DISPOSAL VAPES COMING INTO EFFECT FROM JUNE 1, ANYONE THROWING AWAY THEIR OLD VAPES COULD FACE FINES OF BETWEEN £400 TO £600 IF THEY'RE NOT DISPOSED OF CORRECTLY 16:50,

20 May 2025 Starting on June 1 the UK's disposal vape ban comes into effect. This will make it illegal for businesses to sell or supply, offer to sell or supply, or have in their

possession for sale or supply all single-use or ‘disposable’ vapes, reports LiverpoolEcho. This applies to sales online and in shops and all vapes, no matter whether they contain nicotine.

READ MORE: GREGGS FANS ALL WANT SAME THING ADDED TO NEW SUMMER MENU SAYING 'IT'S IN DEMAND' GET BREAKING NEWS ON BIRMINGHAMLIVE WHATSAPP, CLICK THE LINK TO JOIN Single-use

vapes (also known as disposable vapes) are an inefficient use of critical resources and are often discarded as litter or chucked into residual (non-recycled) waste. Article continues below

When single-use vapes are discarded into black bins they often end up in landfill or are incinerated, which means critical resources are lost. As per the government website, they can also

causes fires, which puts into jeopardy the safety of waste management workers, firefighters and the public. A single-use or disposable vape is an item that’s neither designed nor intended to

be re-used. For a vape to be classed as reusable, it must be both rechargeable and refillable. With just 12 days until the UK's disposable vape ban comes into place, WEEE waste experts

at BusinessWaste.co.uk are warning the public about the dangers of disposing of old vapes. The ban is designed to deter vape use, but reports show that many people are either stockpiling

disposable vapes or switching to reusable models, meaning the problem of binning old vapes is likely to persist. Researchers told the BBC they believe many are switching to refillable and

rechargeable vapes in anticipation of the ban. For those who decide to use the opportunity to quit the habit, there may be an increase in people disposing of old and existing vapes. WEEE

waste experts state: "Many people mistakenly believe that vapes can be tossed into their regular bin at home, but they’re actually classed as WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic

Equipment), which has strict rules for disposal. "When vapes are disposed of in household bins, this can lead to fires in bin trucks and at waste management sites, posing a huge risk to

workers and the public." Vapes contain lithium-ion batteries that can overheat and ignite when damaged or crushed. If vapes enter bin lorries or waste management facilities, this is a

common occurrence as waste is compressed. Alongside this, any vapes that end up in landfill can leach battery acid, nicotine, and chemicals from the plastic into the environment, causing

further damage. WEEE waste is classed as hazardous or controlled waste that must be disposed of separately to prevent environmental harm. Therefore, you can be fined up to £600 if you breach

your household waste duty of care. It states on the government website: "The maximum amount those who breach their household waste duty of care could be fined will increase from £400

to £600." The safest and easiest way to dispose of a disposable vape is to put it in a dedicated vape disposal bin (found in many shops and supermarkets) or return it to a retailer.

Many electrical and electronic shops accept used disposable vapes and will ensure they’re recycled. Graham Matthews who is a Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment expert commented:

"The ban on disposable vapes is certainly a step in the right direction. However, it’s concerning to see it hasn’t had the desired effect with many people simply stockpiling or

switching to reusable models. "While a reusable vape is still the preferred option, the lack of education surrounding correct disposal means we’re likely to see vape-related bin and

waste fires continue. Article continues below “Vaping is a habit that many will find hard to quit, or are reluctant to attempt, so a better alternative is to focus on educating the public

about the risk of improper disposal. With vapes technically classed as WEEE, we would encourage councils to crack down on people placing these in general waste and step up the issuing of

fines as a deterrent.”