Environmental policy is often complex and fast-moving, but real change is possible when there is strong evidence available. A recent example is the UK-wide ban on single-use vapes, which came into force on 1 June 2025.

From local observations to national action

The process began in late 2022, when local authorities highlighted vape litter as an emerging issue. Afrom 2023, our Keep Wales Tidy volunteers were recording growing numbers of single use vapes through eCount Cymru.

In the year before the ban, single use vapes were logged on 42.5% of litter picks. This data, alongside further analysis by our Policy team, provided robust evidence to support the case for change.

Why were single use vapes banned?

The ban was driven by significant environmental concerns:

• Batteries – Vapes contain lithium batteries which release toxic chemicals and pose a fire risk when damaged or exposed to heat.
• Resource loss – Vapes contain valuable metals that are lost when discarded rather than recovered for reuse.
• Plastic waste – Most single use vapes are plastic-based, undermining efforts to reduce single use plastics and move towards a circular economy.

The scale of the issue was substantial, with our estimates suggesting that in one year in Wales, 360,000 single use vapes were littered and a further 120,000 were flushed down toilets.

Monitoring the impact

Three months on from the ban, it is too early to fully assess its effectiveness, however, volunteer data continues to provide essential insight. We’re already seeing new challenges emerging, including:

• Multi-use vapes, which closely resemble single-use products but feature a charging port.
• Vape refill pods, which are increasingly found as litter.

To reflect this, we’ve updated eCount Cymru categories so volunteers can now record whether they have found:

• Single-use or multi-use vapes
• Vape refill pods

Next steps

We will reassess the evidence at 6 and 12 months post-ban. In principle, the move towards multi-use vapes and refill pods should reduce fire risks and prevent the unnecessary loss of resources. Continued monitoring will determine whether this is the case.

Volunteer contributions remain vital, with each data submission strengthening the evidence base and helping to shape environmental policy that keeps Wales clean, safe and resilient.

For further information, please contact leq@keepwalestidy.cymru