'Disposable vape ban will be good for health and environment' says councillor
Award-winning UK activist also supports the ban and explains the challenges of campaigning, from well-funded vape companies to greenwashing
The UK government’s recent decision to ban the sale of single-use vapes has received strong support from Oxford City Council’s Cabinet Member for A Healthy Oxford.
Councillor Chewe Munkonge, has expressed strong support for the UK government’s decision to ban single-use vapes from next summer, highlighting both health and environmental risks linked to disposable vaping products.
Describing the ban as “long overdue,” the Cabinet Member citing an incident last year when a disposable vape improperly thrown in regular waste caused a fire in a bin lorry. To improve vape disposal, Oxford has promoted the county council’s pink bins,
designated specifically for vape waste. “There are better uses for lithium than powering disposable vapes,” he remarked, underscoring the environmental impact of single-use devices.
Laura Young Calls for Stronger Loophole Protections
Laura Young, who initiated a campaign against these products. Young, who began her campaign in late 2022 after repeatedly finding disposable vapes littered on the streets, expressed satisfaction with the forthcoming ban, calling it a significant step toward sustainability and environmental protection.
Young, also known as “Less Waste Laura,” a successful campaigner and an environmental activist and award-winning climate activist, believes: “We need to make sure that the ban includes no loopholes in terms of the vaping industry trying to get around it, so any vapes that are still sold should be fully reusable and refillable rechargeable, to make sure that sustainability is key.”
In response to the industry argument that the ban could drive disposable vapes into the illegal market, Young mentioned: ”Actually, what this ban is going to do is give more powers to Trading Standards officers who are the ones who tackle illegal vaping sales, whether it's the models that are illegal or the underage sales, and that's because shops will no longer be able to sell any disposable vapes.”
The campaign faced some challenges, including opposition from well-funded vape companies that, according to Young, have actively promoted vaping to downplay its environmental drawbacks. "These companies have engaged in greenwashing, suggesting that disposable vapes are recyclable and sustainable, which isn’t accurate," she mentioned.
She continued, "I'm really happy that the government is going to do a ban next summer. I'm happy that this is happening across the four nations. We have a few months now where the legislation is going to be put together, so we will see exactly what the ban covers, but it's great to know that it's going to be all single-use disposable vapes."