Governments around the world are setting their sights on disposable vapes with some moving to enact bans while others, like Scotland, are now considering doing the same.
Humza Yousaf, the First Minister of Scotland since March 2023, told the Scottish Parliament that “too often” hears about young people vaping and that he’s “pleased to announce that this government will consult on curbing the sale of disposable single-use vapes, including consulting on an outright ban.”
“I’m pleased to announce that this government will consult on curbing the sale of disposable single-use vapes, including consulting on an outright ban.”
Yousaf’s announcement comes on the heels of a report from the Scottish government that found most vape users under the age of 18 prefer to use disposable vapes.
In addition to concerns about youth vaping, there are also concerns about the environmental impact of disposable vaping devices. According to a review by Zero Waste Scotland, an estimated 2.7 million disposable vapes were discarded in Scotland in 2022.
Despite the fact that many if not most vapes end up discarded as trash instead of recycled, the reality is that vapes can largely be recycled. This includes disposable variants. In fact, since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, some Ukrainians have started repurposing disposable vape batteries to be used in the country’s war effort. As it turns out, the lithium-ion batteries that power most disposable vapes aren’t actually single-use like the devices that they power. While the devices themselves may lack charging ports that allow vapers to recharge their internal batteries, the batteries themselves are often rechargeable. Using these rechargeable batteries found in single-use vapes, Ukrainian citizens have reportedly teamed up to create power banks that they’ve then transferred to soldiers fighting on the front lines.
Repurposing disposable vape batteries to assist the Ukrainian military is far from the only way that disposable vapes can find a new purpose when recycled. Lithium-ion batteries used to power modern vaping devices such as vape pens are largely recyclable. Lithium, copper, and other valuable materials can be extracted from vaping devices and repurposed to create a variety of new products, including batteries that can be used to power anything from electric cars to laptops.
To combat the growing problem of vape waste, some vape companies have taken it upon themselves to compel their customers to recycle their used vapes. One such company, Smoore subsidiary Feelm, has launched a program in England where vapers can exchange used vapes for brand-new ones.
While banning disposable vapes might have the desired effect, at least that’s what some governments seem to believe, there’s also a chance that vapers will turn to the black market to buy them.
What do you think, should Scotland ban disposable vapes?
