Ministers ‘call time on nasty devices’ as new rules explained
Single-use vapes will be banned from the shelves of all shops from tomorrow (Sunday, June 1) as the government begins a blitz on the sale and supply of the products.
The new crackdown makes it illegal to sell single-use vapes at corner shops and supermarkets, putting an end to what the government says is their “alarming rise” in school playgrounds and the “avalanche of rubbish flooding the nation’s streets”.
Ministers say news of the coming ban has already had real effects, with retailers and consumers shifting away from the “environmentally destructive” single-use options.
The government pointed to new data from charity Action on Smoking and Health, which shows the number of vapers in Great Britain who mainly use single-use devices fell from 30% in 2024 to 24% in 2025, while the use of disposables by 18-24-year-old vapers fell from 52% in 2024 to 40% in 2025.
However, usage among young vapers is still considered too high and with the coming ban into force tomorrow it will continue to drive these figures down further.
As part of the new enforcement measures coming in tomorrow, any rogue traders breaking the rules will be hit with a fine of £200 in the first instance, and all products will be seized. The government says that anyone who shows a “blatant disregard for the rules” and reoffends will face being slapped with an unlimited fine or jail time.
Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh said: “For too long, single-use vapes have blighted our streets as litter and hooked our children on nicotine. That ends today. The Government calls time on these nasty devices.”
Caroline Cerny, Deputy Chief Executive, Action on Smoking and Health said: “It’s promising to see that many people switched away from disposable vapes to re-usable products well ahead of the ban. This is particularly marked among young people, who were more likely to use disposable products due to their attractiveness, affordability, and heavy marketing.
“This new law is a step towards reducing vaping among children, while ensuring products are available to support people to quit smoking. It will be up to manufacturers and retailers to ensure customers are informed and able to reuse and recycle their products securing a real change in consumer behaviour and a reduction in environmental waste. If behaviour does not change then further regulations will be possible following the passage of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.”
The Government says it has worked closely with retailers to ensure they are ready for the ban coming into force. This includes producing clear guidance on the devices they cannot sell or supply, as well as how to deplete their stock before 1 June.
Association of Convenience Stores chief executive James Lowman said: “Convenience retailers have been preparing for the disposables ban for several months, adapting their ranges and training colleagues on the products that they can sell.
“We have been working with Trading Standards officers across the country to ensure they know what to look for once the ban comes into force, and support robust enforcement activity to take illegal vapes off the streets.”
Unrefillable and unable to be recharged, single-use vapes have been typically thrown away with general waste in black bins or littered rather than recycled, contributing to the flood of litter blighting the country.
Even when they are recycled, the process is notoriously arduous, slow and costly, with waste industry workers required to take them apart by hand. Their batteries also present a fire risk to recycling facilities and can leak harmful chemicals into the environment.
