Single-use vapes ban: guidance for businesses

The law aims to prevent environmental damage caused by the production and incorrect  disposal of these products.  

The Environmental Protection (Single-use Vapes) (Wales) Regulations 2024 (“the Regulations”) makes it a criminal offence to supply or offer to supply (including for free) single-use vape products to consumers in Wales.

The ban will start from 1 June 2025, but businesses are encouraged to switch to reusable products now.  

For more information on the Regulations and the documents which supported its development see:

• The Regulations
• Explanatory Memorandum and Regulatory Impact Assessment 
• Impact Assessments.

The ban on single-use vape products will begin on 1 June 2025 and includes those which do or do not contain nicotine.

Reusable vapes will remain legal to sell.

The offence of supplying a prohibited single-use vape product can be committed by a person if they:

• supply a single-use vape.
• offer to supply a single-use vape; or
• have a single-use vape in their possession for supply.

Businesses should take steps now to start planning for the new law and start stocking reusable vapes instead.

When the ban comes into force, businesses will have to:

• Stop selling single-use vape products to customers or other businesses.
• Stop buying single-use vape products from wholesalers.
• Tell their staff about these changes.

Businesses who still have banned products should speak to suppliers or existing disposal companies about how to recycle them safely and legally.

Failing to recycle single-use vape stocks by 1 June 2025 will put your business at risk of commercial loss and legal enforcement action. 

Single-use vapes cannot go into household waste and must be disposed of safely at household recycling centres. This is due to the risk of catching fire, and mixed materials including batteries, metal and plastic.

You can find a recycler on the Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) public registers [GOV.UK]

These Regulations aim to reduce the environmental harm caused by the production and incorrect disposal of single-use vapes.

This is part of a wider commitment to:

• encourage wider and more sustainable behaviour change around the consumption of single-use products
• tackle the throw-away culture.
• encourage a shift towards reusable alternatives.

Guidance for businesses will be published in January 2025. 

If you require further support or advice on the ban, please contact us: 

E-mail: leq@gov.wales 

Post: 

Local Environment Quality Division 
Welsh Government
Cathays Park
Cardiff
CF10 3NQ