Scottish environmental groups make proposal: total ban on disposable vape to curb discard crisis

According to the Daily Chronicle, ZeroWasteScotland has responded to calls to consider banning disposable e-cigarettes and said consumers who buy and litter should be charged a fee. According to its website, the organization is an environmental organization funded by the Scottish government.

A new report shows that revenue from disposable e-cigarette sales at retail stores doubled between October 2022 and March 2023. About 67 percent of users are predicted to be under the age of 25, while 10 percent of e-cigarettes are thrown away as trash.

The report further states:

“The environmental impact of disposable e-cigarettes and the health concerns for young people have raised global concerns. A subset of jurisdictions have banned or are considering banning the sale, while some places have only banned the sale of flavored e-cigarettes.”

The report lists nine policy options that could be made, including banning the sale of disposable e-cigarettes, mandating the removal and replacement of batteries, and taxes related to recycling.

 

Lorna Slater, Scotland’s environment minister, said:

“I will be taking action and will be communicating with those affected in the coming months to develop future measures.”

Iain Gulland, CEO of Zero Waste Scotland, believes that disposable e-cigarettes are made up of so many components that they will persist in nature for years unless they are disposed of safely and responsibly, and that the sight of e-cigarettes being discarded on the streets has become all too common.

He stated:

“Littering in any form is unacceptable. It is damaging to the environment, the economy and a pain in the neck to our living, working and social areas.”

Gillian Mackay, a member of the Scottish Greens who has been answering the call to ban disposable e-cigarettes, is strongly opposed to the sale of e-cigarette products:

“Disposable e-cigarettes are a disaster, with many unknown risks to people’s health and substantial and far-reaching harm to our environment.”