Bins set up at recycling centres in North Yorkshire for disposable vapes
Trading Standards say throwing them in your regular bin can cause fires
Businesses in North Yorkshire are being asked to sell their stock as a national ban on single use vapes comes into force this weekend.
From Sunday, June 1, it will be illegal to sell or supply disposable (single use) vapes across England, Scotland and Wales.
Trading Standards Officers from North Yorkshire Council are encouraging traders to sell off their stock of single use vapes.
The ban, introduced under environmental legislation, is designed to cut down on single-use plastic waste and limit underage access to vapes. From June 1, all vapes sold must be rechargeable and refillable.
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for managing our environment, Cllr Greg White, said: “This is an important new law and we welcome it in North Yorkshire. It will mean that the thousands of single use vapes thrown away into a landfill or thrown away as litter every week will be off our streets. That can only be good for us all in terms of improving our local environment.”
North Yorkshire Council director of public health, Louise Wallace, said: "This new law is an important step forward for both public health and the environment. It reduces waste and helps prevent children from getting hold of vapes.
"But we must be clear that vaping is a far less harmful alternative for adults trying to quit smoking. Reusable vapes are widely available, and our local stop smoking services offer expert advice and support to help people quit smoking for good.”
Humber and North Yorkshire Tobacco Control Centre for Excellence’ associated director, Scott Crosby, said: "The new rules will help to take millions of single-use plastics out of the environment and reduce youth access to vapes. But this is not a ban on all vapes—adult smokers will still have a full range of effective and affordable options to help them quit tobacco.
"Switching to a refillable device now could save you money within weeks. It is important to remember that tobacco—not vaping—is the real killer. Cigarette butts are the most littered item globally, and the poisons they contain, like arsenic and lead, pollute our soil, rivers, and seas, damaging our wildlife."
Meanwhile, residents in North Yorkshire are being urged to dispose of their used vapes responsibly. Materials used in single use vapes can be harmful to the environment and need to be disposed of separately.
Vape recycling bins have been installed at all county’s 20 household waste recycling centres, with the aim of avoiding them ending up in kerbside bins.
Once collected at the recycling centres, they are transported to the recycling facility to be dismantled and the lithium-ion battery is removed for processing while the metals and plastics are recycled.
Lithium-ion batteries can cause fires if they are discarded in kerbside recycling or waste bins. Most fires in the waste collection and recycling industry are caused by these batteries.