As announced by the UK government, new legislation to ban the sale of single-use vapes from 1 June 2025 has been laid in Parliament; meaning your favourite vapes may no longer be available.
See what is included in the single use vape ban and what it means for you.
What is Classed as a Single Use Vape?
Single-use vapes are not rechargeable or refillable. This means that vapes that can be recharged and re-used with either refillable or pre-filled pods are not included in the ban.
Although this is the case, products sold must still be TPD compliant when it comes to features such as e-liquid capacity and nicotine contents.
Single Use Are Not Sustainable
As many vapers know, single use vapes are thrown away without due care, and are not disposed of correctly, which has led to sustainability issues and a lack of proper recycling of the lithium-ion batteries. Not only can this have a long term environmental impact, but can also cause potentially life threatening situations with battery fires in disposal.
As stated on .gov documents, last year, Materials Focus estimated that almost five million single-use vapes were either littered or thrown away in general waste every week in the UK. With the rapid rise in single use vapes, this number is almost four times as much as the previous year.
To put this into perspective, in 2022 alone, they found more than 40 tonnes of lithium from single-use vapes was discarded, which is the same amount used to power 5,000 electric vehicles!
Will The Ban Fuel The Black Market?
As many vapers know, the black market for illegal and non TPD compliant is rife in the UK, and some experts believe that the upcoming back on June 1st will further fuel the black market issues that the UK currently faces.
With many un-reputable shops and suppliers bringing products that are not legitimate or compliant, John Dunne, director general of the UK Vaping Industry Association, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that "We have a black market in vaping products already that the authorities can't really keep up [with], so now this is going to be dropped right on their lap as well," he said.
Mr Dunne said the association had called on the government to alternatively introduce a licensing scheme for retailers and distributors of the products, "which will include things like mandatory age verification processes”.
As a fully TPD compliant vape store, we already run mandatory age verification to ensure ALL of our customers are above the age of 18. The idea of a licensing scheme is very welcomed, as it allows vapers of a legal age to continue vaping the single use products they like.
What Does This Mean For You?
The single use vape ban comes into action in the UK from 1st June 2025; meaning you have until then to stock up on your favourite single use vapes, before they’re gone forever!The ban will cover all single-use vapes, regardless of where they are imported from.
As your compliant, reliable vape shop, we are required by the Department of Health and Social Care to carry out ”online takedown procedures" to stop illicit suppliers when the ban comes into force; making sure we do not continue to stock any single use vapes.
As the upcoming ban, we are giving you even bigger savings on your favourite single use vapes; allowing you to get more for your money and stock up before it is too late!
Switching From Single Use?
With the upcoming ban, we are seeing more customers asking for our advice for the best alternatives.
If you preferred single use vapes due to no maintenance and an easy, on the go vape, we recommend rechargeable vapes with pre-filled pods, such as the RELX 22,000 puff or IVG Air 4-in-1.
These kits make it easy for single use fans making the switch, with quick charging and pre-filled pods removing the need for buying liquid and re-filling your device. With leading brands coming to market with more reusable disposable vapes, see what is out there for you.
On the other hand, we also recommend single use vapers to explore some of the no fuss pod kits on the market. With brands bringing a choice of no fuss, easy to use pod kits with a wide range of features, pod kits are rapidly becoming the most popular device choice for new and experienced vapers alike.
From minimal devices with no maintenance such as the original Uwell Caliburn series and Vaporesso Xros Mini; to more complex customisable devices such as the Vaporesso Luxe X2 and Uwell Caliburn G3 Pro, there are options for all vapers.
With our experience as a reliable and compliant vape store helping the local community, we have shortlisted some of the best pod kits of 2024. Check out the shortlist today to find the perfect pod kit to make the switch!