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It is now illegal for businesses to sell or supply, offer to sell or supply, or have in their possession for sale or supply all single-use or ‘disposable’ vapes. This ban came into force on 1 June 2025.

This applies to: 

• sales online and in shops
• all vapes whether or not they contain nicotine 

You must arrange to recycle any leftover stock of single-use vapes. You can still sell and supply vapes that are reusable.

Who the ban applies to 

The ban applies to all businesses and organisations that sell or supply single-use vapes in the UK. This includes:

• retailers – such as convenience stores, market stalls, petrol stations, specialist vape shops and supermarkets
• manufacturers
• wholesalers
• importers
• healthcare settings and stop smoking services

Definition of single-use and reusable vapes

Single-use vapes are not designed or intended for reuse. A vape is single-use if it either:

• has a battery you cannot recharge
• is not refillable

To be reuseable, a vape must have a:

• rechargeable battery
• refillable container that holds the vaping e-liquid (such as a chamber, capsule, cartridge, pod or tank)
• removable and replaceable coil (if the vape contains a coil)

Refill requirements for reusable vapes

Reusable vapes can be refillable by either:

• filling up the tank or cartridge with e-liquid
• inserting new, pre-filled pods

Refills (pods or e-liquid refill bottles) should be separately available for users to buy.

Coil requirements for reusable vapes

Some reusable vapes have a coil (which produces heat and vaporises the e-liquid). If there is a coil, it must be removable and replaceable by the vape user.

Reusable vapes can have coils that are either:

• directly removable and replaceable
• contained in a removable and replaceable pod or cartridge 

The coil (whether part of a replacement pod or tank, or not) should be separately available to buy.

If you’re not sure a vape is reusable

It is your responsibility to check the products you sell or supply are legal and meet the definition of a reusable vape.

Check the definitions of single-use and reusable vapes first. If you’re still not sure a vape is reusable, you can contact your for advice.

Providing evidence during inspections

You must assist the enforcing authority and provide any information or evidence they ask for during an inspection.

You must be able to:

• provide evidence that the product is legal and reusable, and of the steps you took to check
• demonstrate that vape users can separately buy individual refill items for the vaping items you stock (including pods or e-liquid refill bottles) – such as by providing these items in your shop or online store

You have a legal right to ask enforcement and regulatory officers for formal photographic identification (ID). This usually includes their name and the local authority and department they work for.

Regulation and enforcement: what happens if you sell single-use vapes from 1 June 2025

How the ban is enforced varies between the UK’s four nations and is specific to where your business operates.

In Northern Ireland, if you’re found guilty of stocking or supplying single-use vapes (or offering to), you may receive a fine of up to £5,000 on summary conviction in a magistrates’ court. On further conviction of this offence in a Crown Court, you may face a prison sentence of up to 2 years, a fine, or both.

If you fail to provide information that an enforcement body asks for, you may receive a fine of up to £5,000 on summary conviction in a magistrates’ court. 

Recycling vapes 

Vapes are electrical items, whether they are single-use or reuseable. This means they are covered by the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations.

If you sell vapes (are a ‘distributor’), you must offer a ‘take back’ service. This means you must accept vapes and vape parts (such as used pods, coils or batteries) that customers return for recycling.

The Office for Product Safety and Standards may take action against you if you do not have a way to safely recycle vapes and vape parts.

Unsafe storage of vapes or improper disposal is a fire risk. Vapes should be disposed of in vape bins only and regularly collected for recycling.

What to do with leftover stock of single-use vapes

You cannot sell or supply any single-use vapes to customers. You must arrange for any leftover stock to be recycled.

If you have vape bin services, you should recycle vapes through the company they provide. You may need to pay a fee.

You put your business at risk of commercial loss and legal enforcement action if you do not responsibly recycle single-use vape stocks.

If you have any leftover single-use vapes, you need to:

• separate them from other goods
• label them as unsellable
• remove them from your shop floor or online store until they are collected by a registered vape recycling service 

Other restrictions on vaping products 

Vapes on the market must also follow other relevant regulations, such as:

• the Classification, Labelling and Packaging of Chemicals Regulations (2015)
• the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 (TRPR)
• waste regulations that apply to electrical equipment and batteries – this includes the Batteries and Accumulators (Placing on the Market) Regulations 2008 and related legislation 

Read guidance on these additional restrictions for:

Several government agencies work together to regulate and enforce the regulations on vapes. They include:

• Border Force
• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
• Office of Product Safety and Standards (OPSS)
• Trading Standards