Nicotine vapour products
Single-use vape ban
From 1 June 2025, the sale and supply of single-use vapes will be banned across the UK. The new regulations address the environmental and public health challenges posed by disposable vapes. Businesses in Highland are encouraged to review their stock and prepare for these changes to ensure compliance with the law.
What does the ban mean?
Under The Environmental Protection (Single-Use Vapes) (Scotland) Regulations 2024, a single-use vape is defined as a device that is:
- not refillable
- not rechargeable
- meets both criteria above
This ban applies to both in-store and online sales. It covers all products classified as single-use vapes.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has published a comprehensive guide for distributors, suppliers, and retailers to help businesses understand their responsibilities under the ban. The guide includes:
- the definition of single-use vapes
- practical steps to identify compliant products
- enforcement measures and potential penalties for non-compliance
Steps for businesses to take now
Businesses should:
- review their stock and identify single-use vapes
- stop buying new stock of single-use vapes
- sell all existing stock
- only buy vapes from reputable sources that follow the new regulations
- train their employees about the new requirements and compliance expectations
- arrange for the environmentally responsible disposal of any unsold single-use vapes
From 1 June 2025, it is an offence to have disposable vaping products in your possession for sale. Any leftover disposable vaping products must be:
- stored in stock rooms away from the shopfloor
- separated from other goods
- securely wrapped
- clearly labelled
Leftovers must be left waiting to be collected for disposal and not for sale.
Enforcement and Penalties
Local Trading Standards teams will enforce the ban in Scotland. Businesses found in violation may face:
- seizure of non-compliant products
- a Fixed Penalty Notice of at least £200
- criminal prosecution with fines of up to £5000
Why this ban matters
Single-use vapes are difficult to recycle and typically end up in landfills, where their batteries can leak harmful waste like battery acid, lithium, and mercury into the environment. Batteries thrown into household waste also cause fires in bin lorries and waste-processing centres. DEFRA estimates almost five million single-use vapes were either littered or thrown into general waste each week last year.
More Information
Highland businesses can contact Trading Standards with specific queries on tradingstandards@highland.gov.uk