Retailers will face a fine of £200 if they continue to sell disposable vapes after the ban on 1st June, BUT retailers face a much bigger fine for failing to provide a takeback scheme, BusinessWaste.co.uk has warned.
Any retailers who sell £100,000 of electrical goods (including vapes) per year, whether that’s instore or online, must provide a takeback scheme to dispose of WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment).
If you sell less than £100,000 worth of electrical goods per year, you can choose to pay a fee and join the DTS (Distributor Take Back Scheme) instead of offering in-store collection, explained the firm This scheme allows businesses to pay a fee that covers any WEEE obligations until 31 December 2026. The money then goes towards supporting the recycling centres run by local authorities and requires businesses to keep a record of information given to customers about where they should take their WEEE.
Any businesses that fail to adhere to these rules risk fines of £6,000 and further prosecution.
The reason it is so important for vapes to be disposed of properly is because they containIf vapes enter bin lorries or waste management facilities, this is a common occurrence as waste is compressed. Vape-related fires are on the rise in the UK, with a huge surge of 348% between 2020 and 2025, according to BusinessWaste.co.uk.
Alongside this, any vapes that end up in landfill can leach battery acid, nicotine, and chemicals from the plastic into the environment, causing further damage.
It’s therefore vital that businesses offer a takeback scheme to comply with the law and protect waste workers and the environment.
Graham Matthews, WEEE expert at the firm, said:
“With vapes technically classed as WEEE, we encourage retailers to inform customers about the correct methods for disposal and either provide a takeback scheme or offer guidance in accordance with the DTS.”
