Over a quarter (26%) of consumers who used disposable vapes before the single-use ban have either turned to illegal vapes, started smoking more, or returned to tobacco, following the disposables ban, according to new research.
The majority (85%) of regular vapers in the UK are now using reusable devices since the single-use ban, according to an Elfbar survey of 6,000 UK vapers and smokers, conducted by Opinium in July 2025.
Of the 1.5 million UK adult vapers using Elfbar or Lost Mary reusables once a week or more [1], 84% say they have purchased refills, demonstrating widespread reuse of the products. Only 8% say they buy a new kit each time, effectively using it as a single-use device.
For those surveyed who switched from single-use to reusable vapes, the top reasons cited were similar price (33%), familiar design (31%), ease of use (30%) and similar quality (30%), followed by sustainability (26%).
The proliferation of illicit products, which now includes single-use devices, continues to be a significant issue. A quarter (26%) of current vapers admit to having knowingly purchased illegal vapes, and more than one in five (22%) of all those surveyed are aware of illegal vapes being sold in their area (within the past three months).
While single-use vapes are banned, imports remain legal if the products are intended for re-export, posing a possible loophole in the policy, states Elfbar. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of UK adults surveyed believe this loophole should be closed.
Awareness of responsible disposal is high, with 77% of reusable users recognising that used pods and devices should not be thrown in a normal waste bin.
This understanding is reflected in the data, with 37% of respondents saying they collect used devices and pods to return to a recycling point, 23% returning used items to locations that accept vape waste, and 16% taking them back to the store where they shop.
However, 18% admit to throwing them away in household bins, another 18% in public bins, and 12% say they have tried to return used items to the retailer they bought them from but found no in-store bin available.
And while there are over 10,000 vape recycling points across the UK and mandatory take-back obligations for retailers, many surveyed feel access remains inadequate. Over half (52%) would like to see more collection points in accessible locations, and 49% want all retailers to provide in-store bins.
The survey found that flavours remain critical to helping people quit smoking, with 57% of vapers choosing fruit or sweet options, and 63% saying flavour variety helps them stay off tobacco.
When ASH’s 2025 survey asked what vapers would do if flavours were restricted to tobacco, mint or menthol, 14% said they would return to smoking, equating to 770,000 adults (based on ASH’s figure of there being 5.5 million UK adult vapers).
The Elfbar findings also underscore the crucial role of vaping in supporting smoking cessation.
Half (50%) of current or recent ex-smokers have used vapes in the past five years to quit, more than twice as many as those who used nicotine patches (22%) or gum (20%). And in the last two years, three out of five (62%) smokers who successfully quit say they used an e-cigarette as part of their cessation journey.
When asked if reusable vapes have helped them reduce or stop smoking, over two-fifths (44%) of respondents said they had helped a lot, with another fifth (21%) saying they had helped a little. ASH’s recent survey supports this, showing that two million people (55%) who currently vape have quit smoking as a result.
Nonetheless, misconceptions about vaping are still on the rise, with 51% of adults mistakenly believing that vaping is as, if not more, harmful than smoking tobacco, up 9 percentage points since December 2024. This aligns with ASH’s July 2025 report, which also has expressed concern over the sharp increase in public misperceptions, particularly among smokers, as it discourages those who could benefit the most from switching to a less harmful alternative.
Eve Peters, director of government affairs for Elfbar in the UK, said: “It is encouraging to see a positive transition to reusable devices in a short space of time, along with evidence that many consumers are purchasing refills and demonstrating awareness around responsible waste disposal.
“However, the findings also spotlight challenges that need to be addressed, including the prevalent illicit market and increasingly negative public perception of vaping, particularly among adult smokers.
“This is why we support a licensing scheme for vape retailers, which we believe should include mandatory in-store takeback services as a condition. We are also calling for a national anti-illicit trade strategy and a ban on the import of single-use vapes.
“Supported by the right policy measures, we can build on recent progress, help more smokers switch to less harmful alternatives, and keep the UK on track to achieve its smokefree goals.”
[1] The 1.5 million figure reflects 28% of surveyed vapers reporting use of Elfbar or Lost Mary reusable products, extrapolated to the adult UK vaping population of 5.5 million as estimated by ASH (2025)
