Retailer Guidance: One year on from the Single-Use Vape Ban
It has now been just over one year since the ban on the sale and supply of single-use vapes came into force across the UK on 1 June 2025.
The ban was introduced to address growing concerns around environmental damage, littering and the disposal of lithium batteries contained within disposable vaping products. While most retailers have successfully adapted their ranges to comply with the legislation, it remains important that businesses continue to review their vape offering and ensure they are meeting their legal obligations.
What Does the Ban Cover?
Retailers must not supply, offer to supply, or possess for supply any vape that is designed for single use. A vape must be both rechargeable and refillable to be legally sold.
Products that cannot be recharged, cannot be refilled, or have non-replaceable components that prevent reuse may fall within the scope of the ban and should not be stocked or sold.
No Remaining Stock Should Be Available for Sale
There was no sell-through period when the ban came into effect. Any remaining disposable vape stock should have been removed from sale and appropriately disposed of or managed in accordance with relevant regulations.
Retailers are encouraged to check storerooms, stock areas and display units to ensure no prohibited products remain on the premises for sale.
Enforcement and Penalties
Trading Standards officers continue to have powers to investigate breaches of the legislation. Businesses found supplying banned single-use vapes may face enforcement action, including prosecution.
Penalties can include a summary conviction, fines and, in serious cases, imprisonment.
Review Your Vape Range
As the vaping market continues to evolve, retailers should take care when introducing new products. Manufacturers may market products as reusable or compliant, but retailers remain responsible for ensuring that products offered for sale meet legal requirements.
Before stocking any new vaping product, retailers should satisfy themselves that it is genuinely rechargeable and refillable and complies with all relevant product regulations.
How To Identify a Disposable Vape?
A single-use vape is a vape which is not designed or intended to be re-used and includes any vape which is:
not refillable,
not rechargeable, or
not refillable and not rechargeable
A vape is not refillable, unless it is designed to include:
a single-use container which is separately available and can be replaced by an individual user in the normal course of use, or
a container which can be refilled by an individual user in the normal course of use
A vape is not rechargeable if it is designed to contain:
a battery which cannot be recharged, or
a coil which is not separately available (available for purchase by an individual user) and cannot be replaced by an individual user in the normal course of use, including any coil which is contained in a single-use cartridge or pod which is not separately available and cannot be replaced by an individual user in the normal course of use
Stay Up to Date
The regulatory landscape for tobacco and vaping products continues to develop. Retailers should remain aware of any further changes to legislation and seek advice from their local Trading Standards service if they are uncertain about the compliance status of a product.
One year on from the introduction of the ban, ensuring continued compliance remains an important part of responsible retailing and helps support the environmental objectives behind the legislation.
