The government will ban the sale and supply of single-use vapes by next summer.

Legislation to introduce the ban from June 1 next year has been introduced to Parliament, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has confirmed.

Businesses will have until the deadline “to sell remaining inventory they hold and prepare for the ban to come into force,” the statement said.

The UK Government and the devolved governments have worked closely on the ban and will “align the effective dates”, the department added.

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Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh said single-use vapes were “extremely wasteful and destroying our cities”.

“That’s why we’re banning single-use vapes as we end the throwaway culture in this country,” she said.

“This is the first step on the path to a circular economy, where we use resources for longer, reduce waste, accelerate the path to net zero and create thousands of jobs across the country. “

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Millions thrown away every week last year

Last year, it was estimated that almost five million single-use vapes were thrown away or thrown into household waste every week in the UK, almost four times more than the year before.

DEFRA said vape use in England increased by more than 400% between 2012 and 2023. It said 9.1% of the British public now buy and use them.

Vaping use among teenagers ‘deeply worrying’

Health Minister Andrew Gwynne said: “It is deeply worrying that a quarter of 11-15 year olds have used a vape in the last year and we know that disposable products are the product of choice for the majority of people. children who vape today.

“Banning disposable vapes will not only protect the environment, but will also reduce the appeal of vapes to children and keep them out of the reach of vulnerable young people.”

Libby Peake, head of resources at Green Alliance, said: “Disposable vapes are the last thing our children and the planet need, and for too long their market has been allowed to grow unchecked. »