Rhondda Cynon Taf Council is supporting the ban on single use vapes as two Cabinet Members highlight the huge impact that the ban will have on both public health and the local environment.
Councillor Ann Crimmings, Cabinet Member for Environment and Leisure and Councillor Robert Harris, Cabinet Member for Public Health are both keen supporters of the Welsh Government ban.
Single use vapes often end up being sent to landfill or littered. This can introduce harmful substances into our soil, rivers and streams. They can also cause fires, which risks the safety of waste collection crews, firefighters and the wider public.
The sale of ALL single use Vapes is now banned across the UK. Any business found selling these items could face an unlimited fine, a prison sentence and or additional sanctions.
Not only are the single-use devices bad for the environment but they are often marketed to young people and act as a gateway to other substances – which is the opposite reason that they were introduced in the first place.
Councillor Robert Harris, Cabinet Member for Public Health, said:
“The ban on single use vapes is one step towards discouraging young people from vaping. Thanks to their bright colours and flavours they are often marketed at young people, and we fully support tighter restrictions on attractiveness, flavour, and cost to make vapes less appealing to the younger generation. The single use products were often easier to conceal from parents as they didn’t need to be charged – this ban will now act as another deterrent to any young people considering this dangerous habit.
“However, I realise that vaping can be an effective tool to help existing tobacco smokers quit, but it really is vital that we don’t make this a new ‘trend’ for our young people and cause another problem for future generations.”
Councillor Ann Crimmings, who is passionate about the environment and can often be found litter picking key beauty spots in the Cynon Valley and around her local community, is hoping that the ban will now help to reduce the litter in the area.
Councillor Ann Crimmings, Cabinet Member for Environment and Leisure, said:
"The ban on disposable vapes will now help to take millions of single-use plastics out of the environment. I am passionate about our community and love where I live, I have seen firsthand the litter that single use vapes causes – it’s definitely a big problem in the area. I often find the box, then the plastic vapes a few yards up the road. Not only is this litter unsightly, but its toxic and when they are thrown mindlessly away the toxins can enter or rivers and soil.
“We’d like to remind residents to dispose of vapes safely either at a vape shop or a household waste recycling site -which have special bins to recycle them safely. They can’t be disposed of in general waste and have unfortunately caused a number of fires in waste trucks across the UK where people have used their general waste bins."
Smokers will still have a full range of effective and affordable options to help them quit tobacco. Switching to a refillable device could also help people save money within weeks.
More information can be found at https://www.gov.wales/single-use-vapes-ban
What is a single-use vape:
A single-use vape (also known as a disposable vape) is a product that is neither designed nor intended to be re-used. It is a vape that cannot be recharged or refilled by any means. Once the product has been used, it will be disposed of.
Devices that must not be sold or supplied
The following are some examples of common models that are not considered reusable:
- Single stick devices that have the mouthpiece, tank and battery fixed together. The liquid and the coil are not accessible. Even if the device contains a USB port, suggesting that the battery can be recharged, it will still be illegal to sell or supply it.
- Devices that allow you to refill the tank and charge the battery, but where the coil is encased in the device and cannot be replaced. This kind of device is not reusable because once the coil has burnt out, it’s not possible to replace it with a new one.
- Devices that appear to be reusable but where it’s not possible for a user to separately buy the refill e-liquid, pre-filled pods or replacement coil (in your shop or anywhere).
Posted on 09/06/2025