The Scottish Government will hear Aberdeenshire Council’s backing for a potential ban on single-use disposable vapes in Scotland.
The action comes in response to a notice of motion made by Councillor Sarah Dickinson on Thursday, June 29, at a full meeting of Aberdeenshire Council, in which she emphasised the environmental and health risks involved with the devices.
The relative affordability of single-use vapes, their allure to young people, and the environmental effects of their inappropriate disposal or dumping were all raised in Cllr. Dickinson’s proposal.
The Scottish Government is actively reviewing the environmental effects and management of single-use vapes, including the possibility of a ban, under the direction of Zero Waste Scotland.
More local authorities in Scotland are calling for a change in the law due to the short life devices’ median lifespan of only 600 “puffs” before they need to be completely replaced.
Single use disposable vapes are an inappropriate use of precious resources. They cause more and more environmental damage by being litter. When they are not disposed of properly, they pose threats to both young people’s health and the environment.
I’m hoping you’ll back my request that the Scottish government adopt new laws that will outlaw the sale of single-use disposable vaporizers in Scotland.
Cllr. David Keating seconded the proposal and stated, “I totally agree that these single-use vapes provide an additional health danger to our young people.
The ban is undoubtedly one option, especially in light of the availability of non-disposable vapes, but evaluation of the optimal approach is necessary.
The Chief Executive Jim Savege will write to the Scottish Government to convey the council’s support for a potential ban, all council members agreed.
The strategy will emphasise the potential risks to young people’s health in the future, the growing environmental impact of disposable vapes as litter, the dangers that arise when they are not disposed of safely, and the unacceptable waste of limited resources on a single-use product when reusable alternatives are available.
In the interim, it is important to remember that e-cigarettes and vapes should never be disposed of in regular trash receptacles.
They are acceptable at recycling facilities in the compact WEEE container. If the batteries inside the vapes can be removed without difficulty, they should be taken out and disposed of in battery recycling bins.
Recycling is crucial since vapes include some of the most expensive materials on the earth, like as steel, aluminium, copper, and lithium.
Vapes are considered to be harmful waste as well. When disposed of in regular trash or recycling, the batteries inside of them are prone to catching fire if damaged. To reduce the risk of a fire, all vape products should be disposed of separately from garbage and recyclables.
The fastest-growing sources of electrical waste in the UK include binned vapes. Over 1 million single-use vapes are disposed of every week in the UK alone, which is enough to cover 22 football fields.
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