The sale and supply of single-use vapes are now officially banned in Northern Ireland, a measure introduced concurrently across England, Scotland, and Wales on Sunday, 01 June.

The move by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) is a concerted effort to combat the significant environmental impact of discarded vapes and conserve valuable resources.

An estimated five million single-use vapes are either thrown into bins or littered every week across the UK, rarely being recycled. These devices contribute to landfill waste and can release harmful substances into the environment, posing a risk to wildlife. Furthermore, their production consumes valuable resources such as cobalt, copper, and lithium.

Welcoming the ban, DAERA Minister Andrew Muir, said: "Single use vape waste can have a significant negative impact on our environment and biodiversity and I welcome this ban which will benefit our environment as well as our general health and well-being."

Minister Muir highlighted the collaborative approach taken by the devolved administrations and the UK Government to ensure a consistent implementation of the ban. He urged vape users to responsibly dispose of any broken or expired vapes by taking them to their local shops.

He also reminded retailers of their new legal obligations: "Retailers must be aware of their legal responsibilities in disposing of any old stock and should offer a waste vape bin in-store for customers to recycle any remaining disposable vapes."

Businesses had been given a six-month grace period to sell off existing stock of single-use vapes. From now on, retailers must be able to demonstrate during inspections that any vaping device they sell is reusable, meaning it can be refilled and recharged by an average user.