Disposable vape ban welcomed as “great news for wildlife”
Vapes contain chemicals that can be toxic to wildlife.
News that the UK government plans to ban disposable vapes in England from 1 June 2025 has been welcomed by the RSPCA.
The charity, which has run a #VexedAboutVapes campaign, has called the announcement “great news for wildlife”.
The use of vapes in England grew by 400 per cent between 2012 and 2023. An estimated five million single-use vapes are thrown away in general waste or littered every week in the UK, according to research by Material Focus.
The RSPCA has highlighted the danger that disposable vapes can cause to wildlife. The products’ lithium-ion batteries can cause fires, and when thrown away as litter the vapes can be ingested, potentially leading to choking or poisoning from the chemicals they contain.
In the past four years, the charity has received around 13,000 calls about animals affected by litter, with vapes believed to be contributing to the problem.
David Bowles, head of public affairs at the RSPCA, said: “Discarded disposable vapes pose a threat to the environment and animals – so this news marks a great day for wildlife.
“The infrastructure for recycling these vapes just isn't widely available – and too many single-use vapes are simply being tossed away in our communities, putting animals needlessly at risk.”
The ban will only apply to England. The Scottish government is currently holding a consultation on a ban and the Welsh government has said that it plans to ban the products after its own consultation closed in December 2023.
Mary Creagh, the UK government’s circular economy minister, said: “Single-use vapes are extremely wasteful and blight our towns and cities.
“That is why we are banning single use vapes as we end this nation’s throwaway culture.”
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Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
