IBVTA Highlights DEFRA Advice
The Independent British Vape Trade Association has highlighted to its members the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs’ reminder for retailers to deplete their disposable vapes stockholding
-
by Dave Cross
Share on:
The Independent British Vape Trade Association (IBVTA) has highlighted to its members the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs’ (Defra) reminder for retailers to deplete their disposable vapes stockholding. New legislation comes into force banning the sale of single-use ecigs on June 1st.
IBVTA says: “With under two months until the ban comes into force, businesses must take action now to ensure they are prepared for its implementation. This includes ensuring all remaining stocks of single-use vapes are sold, and only buying vapes that follow the new regulations. If businesses have any single-use vapes in their possession after 1 June 2025, they will not be able to sell them to shoppers and must ensure they are disposed of safely.
“Regardless of where a business is located within the UK, it will be an offence to sell or supply, offer to sell or supply, or have in their possession to sell or supply a single-use vape from 1 June 2025. This includes both online and in-store sales. More information on the civil and criminal sanctions that can be applied can be found on the official guidance page on Gov.uk.”
Coinciding with the reminder, Independent British Vape Trade Association CEO, Gillian Golden stressed the need to educate consumers on the ban as well: “The DEFRA reminder to retailers today highlights the critical need for collective action in addressing the environmental impact of disposable vapes. Many retailers are already facilitating responsible disposal and recycling of these products, but there remains a pressing need to educate consumers about proper recycling practices and the alternatives available after June 1st.
“As the single-use vape ban approaches, the transition to refillable and rechargeable devices presents an invaluable opportunity to go beyond recycling. Embracing these sustainable alternatives not only reduces waste but also sets a new standard for environmentally conscious vaping.”
Defra says: “Analysis by Material Focus found an estimated 8.2 million vapes are now thrown away or littered every week in the UK, which is the equivalent of 13 each second. However, recycling single-use vapes is notoriously arduous, with waste industry workers needing to take them apart by hand which can be a slow and costly process. Their contents also present a fire risk to recycling facilities and can leak harmful chemicals into the environment.”
Waste Minister Mary Creagh commented: “For too long, single-use vapes have littered our streets, wasted valuable resources and harmed wildlife. Our ban comes into force in just a few weeks so businesses must play their part by running down stocks and ensuring the remainder are collected for recycling. The Government is committed to moving towards a more circular economy, where we use, repair and refill things for longer, to reduce waste.”
Photo Credit:
Author created image
Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.
