Disposable vape ban spurs costly and wasteful misuse of prefilled pod kits

• Consumers are treating reusable prefilled pod kits as single-use, discarding batteries after each use.
• Annual vaping costs soar from £1,110 to £2,580 under this trend.
• Industry calls for urgent consumer education to curb environmental and financial harm.

The UK’s ban on disposable vapes was intended to curb environmental damage, but online vape retailer WizVape has raised the alarm over a worrying trend it says undermines that goal, and leaves consumers out of pocket.

According to Saif Khan, director at WizVape, a growing number of consumers are now misusing prefilled pod kits — a category of vape products designed to be reused with replacement pods — by using them as if they were disposables.

“We are finding that many consumers are purchasing 5–10 devices at once and throwing the device away when the pod runs out, just as they would have done with disposables,” said Khan. “This shift raises significant issues on several fronts.”

Cost to consumers

WizVape’s internal analysis shows a stark difference in cost between proper and improper use of pod kits. When used as intended — with a one-time device purchase of around £15 and ongoing pod purchases — the average annual spend comes in at roughly £1,110.

However, consumers treating each kit as single-use and buying five £15 devices per month (a conservative estimate) face a total annual spend of £2,580 — an increase of nearly £1,500.

“This significant increase highlights the financial burden associated with frequent device purchases and massively underlines the importance of considering more sustainable and cost-effective vaping options,” said Khan.

Environmental fallout

Beyond the financial burden, the environmental impact is even more troubling. Lithium-ion batteries — used in all these kits — contain hazardous materials and contribute to the UK’s growing electronic waste problem when improperly discarded.

“By treating these kits as disposables, consumers are exacerbating the issue of electronic waste, which is already a pressing problem in the UK,” Khan warned, noting that this was a driving force in the ban on disposable vapes in the first place.

“The increase in waste generated from discarded batteries and plastic components further strains our already burdened landfill sites.”

Last month, environmental non-profit Material Focus has warned that new generations of vaping products, including “big puff” and pod-based systems, appear designed to circumvent the disposable vapes while retaining the convenience and price points that made disposables popular, potentially leading to similar problematic disposal behaviours.

Call for consumer education

Khan stressed the urgent need for consumer education campaigns from retailers and manufacturers alike.

“Instead of moving towards a more eco-friendly approach with reusable systems, consumers are inadvertently contributing to a growing problem of waste and pollution,” he said.

“It is crucial that we address these issues and seek solutions that encourage responsible vaping practices through consumer education.”

WizVape is currently rolling out its own educational efforts to raise awareness and encourage more responsible usage among its customers.