• Sale of single use vapes banned from 1 June
• 300 Newham businesses contacted with advice on how to stay legal
• Ban comes as Council warns of urgent fire risk to refuse staff
From 1 June the sale or supply of single use vapes will be illegal, this will be enforced for the Council by Newham Trading Standards team.
Disposable vapes – whether they contain nicotine or not – will be illegal to sell in shops or online.
In the run up to the ban Newham Trading Standards have written to, or visited, over 300 local retailers to advise them how to prepare and work within the new law
Councillor Zulfiqar Ali, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources and Environment, said: “Whether they are littered or thrown in a bin and sent to landfill, single-use vapes release toxic substances like lead and mercury into our soil, rivers and streams.
“Where vapes end up in our general rubbish collection they are posing a real risk of fire for refuse trucks, sorting equipment, and most importantly our staff who are being put in danger daily from the lithium batteries.
“I welcome this ban, and we will work with our shop keepers to make sure Newham becomes a no-go zone for single use vapes.”
Where retailers do not comply with the new law, Trading Standards will seize any single-use vapes they find; issuing civil sanctions such as a stop notices, compliance notices or fines of £200. If shops continue to sell disposable vapes owners may face an unlimited fine, a prison sentence of up to two years, or both.
Vincent Searle, from the Newham Trading Standards team, said: “I’m proud of how our team has supported hundreds of traders ahead of the single-use vape ban taking effect on 1 June. By providing clear, practical guidance, we’ve helped businesses feel informed and confident, eased administrative burdens, supported the local economy, and contributed to reducing environmental impact in line with the Mayor’s net zero ambitions.”
For residents who do use vapes, especially those trying to quit cigarettes, it is important to understand you can still purchase legal reusable vapes which must be rechargeable and refillable.
Retailers who have questions about what they need to do can email: trading.standards@newham.gov.uk
For information on how to dispose of vapes and batteries, visit the Council’s website: www.newham.gov.uk/rubbish-recycling-waste/dangerous-waste-disposal
