Scotland disposable vape ban delayed to bring it in line with UK

UK circular economy minister Mary Creagh said single-use vapes were “extremely wasteful and blight our towns and cities”.

She added: “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.”

Disposable vapes – often priced at about £5 – are usually cheaper upfront than many refillable vape kits – often priced at about £8 to £12 – and can be bought from non-specialist retailers.

But the long-term costs associated with refillable kits are lower than for disposables.

Ireland and Belgium have recently outlined plans to ban the products, while countries including New Zealand, Australia, South Korea, India and Brazil already have restrictions in place.

The measure is separate from government plans to end smoking by banning the sale of cigarettes to anyone born after January 2009.

A bill to enact that ban is expected be introduced to parliament before Christmas.