Newsroom

Retailers in Nottinghamshire are being reminded that from 1 June, it will be illegal to sell, offer to sell, or supply single-use or ‘disposable’ vapes. The new law applies to all shops and online retailers. All single-use vapes are included in the ban, even if they do not contain nicotine. 

Nottinghamshire County Council Trading Standards is advising retailers to stop buying new stocks of single-use vapes and to sell any existing stocks before the ban comes into effect. It will also be a legal requirement for retailers to arrange for any unsold single-use vapes to be collected by a registered vape recycling service by 1 June 2025.

Retailers or individuals who are found to be selling or supplying single-use vapes after 1 June risk enforcement action from Nottinghamshire Trading Standards, which may result in an unlimited fine, a prison sentence of up to two years, or both. Any single-use vapes that are found will be seized by Nottinghamshire Trading Standards.

The new law banning the sale or supply of single-use vapes has been introduced to help curb the rise of young people taking up vaping, while also protecting the natural environment and communities from the flood of litter that single-use vapes create. Single-use vapes are not rechargeable or refillable and it is estimated that a staggering 8.2 million vapes are either littered or thrown away in general waste bins every week*.

Littering spoils communities and threatens biodiversity by contaminating soil, rivers, and streams with harmful substances. Additionally, critical resources are wasted when single-use vapes are discarded in general waste bins and, since these vapes contain batteries, they can also pose fire hazards if crushed or punctured, risking the safety of waste management workers, firefighters and residents.

Fiona Needham, Trading Standards Officer at Nottinghamshire County Council said “We fully support the ban on the sale and supply of disposable vapes. Not only will it help protect children from the harmful effects of vaping, but it is also a vital step towards addressing the littering problem caused by these single-use products. Our Trading Standards officers are here to support Nottinghamshire firms so we would encourage local retailers to get in touch and make use of the free specialist support that we can offer to help them meet the new laws on vape sales.”

Retailers can find out more about the ban by visiting the government’s website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/single-use-vapes-ban.

Nottinghamshire residents are reminded that if they see any single-use vapes on sale in shops after 1 June, or they believe a business is selling unregulated products, they can report this to Trading Standards by calling Citizen’s Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133. 

Ends 

*Source: Materials Focus