Sale of cheap ‘big puff’ vapes driving waste crisis, campaigners warn

New cheap vapes are flooding the market and driving up the amount of waste that the incoming ban on single-use vapes aims to tackle, campaigners have warned.

Concerns are growing that so-called “big puff” vapes and other new styles – which last longer but can be cheaper per puff than single-use vapes – will circumvent the new regulations set to come into force in June.

Research conducted by Opinium on behalf of campaign group Material Focus found that these vapes have been soaring in popularity in the last six months.

According to the findings, five million single-use vapes were being binned each week in 2023.

But now an estimated 8.2 million big puff, single-use and single-use pod vapes are thrown away every week or recycled incorrectly – amounting to 13 per second – in the UK.

The increase comes amid a huge surge in the purchase of big puff vapes by consumers, with the research suggesting that three million are now bought each week, making up 63% of puffs taken.

6,000 puffs

Big puff vapes can hold up to 6,000 puffs per vape, compared to single-use vapes which average 600, according to the campaign group.

But they come at a price of 0.19p per puff, compared to 0.83p per puff for a single-use vape, it said.

And their popularity is rising among younger people, according to the research, which found 48% of 16 to 34-year-olds buying the new styles compared to 36% of 35 to 55-year-olds.

More widely, the purchase of vapes was found to have increased by 37% to 13.5 million – compared to 9.9 million per week last year.

From these findings, Material Focus forecasts that big puff vapes and other new models flooding the market are set to cause significant environmental challenges beyond June.

‘Creative’

Scott Butler, executive director of the group, said: “Vape producers are being infinitely creative with their products in order to avoid the forthcoming disposable vape ban.

“Whilst the current ban will take some of the most environmentally wasteful products off the market, we might need more flexible legislation to deal with the ongoing challenges of the new products surging onto the market.”

The research has sparked further concerns over the risk of the lithium-ion batteries used to power the products causing fires, driving up air pollution levels in local areas and causing detrimental impacts to nature and wildlife.

The number of battery fires in the waste stream had increased to more than 1,200 in the last year, an increase of 71% from 700 in 2022, according to the campaign group.

‘Environmentally wasteful’

Mr Butler said: “It’s not just fires that are the problem. Vapes are a strong contender for being one of the most environmentally wasteful, damaging and dangerous consumer products ever made.”

He added that 80% of the materials inside a vape can be recycled, including, “valuable and critical” materials such as lithium and copper.

Material Focus calculates that lithium inside the vapes thrown away could instead be powering 10,127 electric car batteries per year.

According to the research, the recycling of vapes has increased in recent months, with 20% of people returning single-use vapes to stores for recycling this year compared to 8% last year.

However, 77% of UK vapers said there is not enough information on how to recycle vapes.

“It’s good to see that more vape retailers are beginning to provide recycling facilities, and more people are recycling them,” Mr Butler said.

“However this isn’t anywhere near enough to turn the tide. It should be as easy to recycle a vape as it is to buy one.”

The campaigners highlighted good practices seen in Sainsbury’s and Waitrose stores, but warned of the need for rapid growth in the number of accessible and visible vape recycled drop-off points across communities, in parks, public places, schools and universities.

Other proposals put forward by the group include ensuring in-store take back of vapes is emphasised as part of a proposed licensing system for selling vapes, as well as mandating retailers and producers to finance recycling solutions.

It comes after the Government announced plans to make vape producers, as well as online marketplaces, pay into a pot to support the recycling and waste management of e-products.

‘Blight’

Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh said: “Single-use vapes are extremely wasteful and blight our towns and cities.

“That is why we are banning single-use vapes as we end this nation’s throwaway culture.

“This is the first step on the road to a circular economy, where we use resources for longer, reduce waste, accelerate the path to net-zero and create thousands of jobs across the country.”

Under the regulations, a single-use vape is defined as one that is not both refillable and rechargeable, which the Government says includes most “big puff” vapes currently on the market.