Single use vapes ban comes into effect from today
Date published:
The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) is reminding retailers, producers and members of the public that as of today (1 June 2025), single-use vapes are banned in Northern Ireland.
The ban has also come into force across England, Scotland and Wales.
It is estimated that as many as five million single-use vapes are simply thrown in bins or littered every week across the UK, rather than being recycled.
The new restriction aims to reduce the number of vapes going into landfill or discarded as litter, where they can release harmful substances into the environment and endanger wildlife. It will also stop valuable resources such as cobalt, copper and lithium being used in single use devices.
DAERA Minister Andrew Muir said: “Single use vape waste can have a significant negative impact on our environment and biodiversity and I welcome this ban which will benefit our environment as well as our general health and well-being.
“My Department as well as counterparts in the UK Government, Scotland and Wales have worked together to introduce this ban concurrently, to provide a consistent approach across the UK for businesses as well as customers.
“If you do use vapes, I would encourage you to now make it a habit not to discard the devices and dispose of any broken or expired vapes responsibly by taking them to your local shop.”
Minister Muir added: “Retailers must be aware of their legal responsibilities in disposing of any old stock and should offer a waste vape bin in-store for customers to recycle any remaining disposable vapes.”
Businesses were given six months to prepare for the change by selling any existing stock of single-use vapes. Retailers must now be able to demonstrate during any inspection that an average user can reuse a device by refilling and recharging.
Notes to editors:
- The legislation provides for criminal sanctions for failure to comply with the regulation, with a maximum penalty, on indictment, of up to two years imprisonment and a fine.
- Download the response to the UK wide consultation on ‘Creating a Smokefree Generation and Tackling Youth Vaping’.
- The ban follows strong support from the Northern Ireland public in response to the UK wide consultation on ‘Creating a Smokefree Generation and Tackling Youth Vaping’. 90.4% of individual respondents from Northern Ireland agreed there should be restrictions on the sale and supply of single use vapes and 84.9% agreed that restrictions should take the form of a ban on their sale and supply.”
- UK-wide guidance on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) for businesses is available on DAERA’s website.
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