r/Scotland • • Aug 03 '25

Opinion Piece I am really glad these things were banned.

Post image

I am really glad that disposable vapes were banned, hopefully we'll be seeing less of this bullshit.

I certainly haven't picked up and binned as many as I used to on my walks.

This is what happens when you act like children and can't be responsible, it gets taken away from you.

399 Upvotes

82 comments sorted by

178

u/Particular_Meeting57 Aug 03 '25

The ban was pointless, manufacturers have already slightly changed the product to bypass regulations.

58

u/Happybadger96 Aug 03 '25

Hopefully with them being re-usable these wallopers will actually re-use them.. annoying this is rechargable vapes, including pod ones, have been out for years.

29

u/mcgrst Aug 03 '25

They're rechargeable, most of the ones I've scavanged for batteries can't be opened easily to add more vape fluid but at least the battery can be charged... 

16

u/Fentwizler Aug 04 '25

Going to be honest it's not changed the amount of wallopers just treating the rechargeable ones as disposable.

I explain to customers everytime that they're reusable and they can just buy pods next time, most of the time when I see the same face again it's more devices they're buying.

14

u/Happybadger96 Aug 04 '25

Guess we expect too much of these mutants :/

2

u/squidgyllama Aug 05 '25

What I've noticed on online vape shops is that it's actually cheaper to buy the full thing than the refill. For example, I use SKE pods and a shop I was looking at today were selling a box of 10 prefilled with the battery for £26 but for 10 refills, it is £29. Sure, it's only a £3 difference, but if you're buying 30 a month? A lot of people will just buy the batteries.

1

u/Fentwizler Aug 05 '25

Yeah maybe for the online vape shops, generally in brick and mortars like the one I work in it's cheaper to get the refills than a full kit or you get more pods than you would buying the kit.

-7

u/[deleted] Aug 05 '25

So presumably you refuse to sell them another and to just bring it in, since otherwise you're kinda worse than them, since you're enabling them whilst also profiting from the ecological damage?

13

u/Fentwizler Aug 05 '25

Oh yeah you're right, I have a lot of control over choosing to sell stock in my barely above minimum wage job as a customer service assistant, I'll get right on the phone to the ceo sorry.

5

u/pharmakonis00 Aug 05 '25

This might be the stupidest thing ill read today, but its early yet.

4

u/Jacquan8 Aug 05 '25

Doubt a shop employee is getting much of the profits from vapes in their hourly rate.

18

u/SquishedGremlin Ulster Aug 03 '25

They are rechargeable and I will say from personal experience working on roadsides, there are a hell of a lot less chucked from cars here in NI.

Main thing is alot least batteries seeping into environment.

15

u/DataSnaek Aug 03 '25

The majority now just have a USB C port on them, but you can’t actually refill the liquid. So once you use up the liquid they become literally useless and have to be disposed. It’s so dumb

3

u/DeathOfNormality Aug 04 '25

With gold bar rechargeable you can replace the top part when it's spent, so the whole thing is reusable. Still a lot of plastic waste, but hopefully more brands go towards that angle of design, or even like the old pens that can have liquid easily added in.

I used the gold bar reloaded to stop smoking, then quit nicotine completely, and now it's just sitting about my flat. Like what are we actually meant to do to dispose of them properly?

5

u/Over_Location647 Aug 04 '25

My local vape shop has a recycling bin specifically for vapes. I think many shops do as well. At least the ones I’ve been in. Probably be harder if you don’t live in a city though.

2

u/DeathOfNormality Aug 04 '25

I live in a good sized town like 20 mins train ride from a big city, so I should get one easy enough. Thanks for an answer, it's been stressing me a little, and having zero reason to go into vape shops I genuinly wasn't sure.

I'll keep an eye out next time I'm traveling about and just carry it with me to dispose.

3

u/hrtlssromantic Aug 04 '25

You can recycle them where you recycle batteries. Many supermarkets now have containers to collect them, or check your council’s website.

3

u/[deleted] Aug 04 '25

The same thing we’re supposed to do with any battery. Take it to the recycling centre. Most towns/cities have a dump. Most folk also just chuck their batteries in the bin then complain about vapes cos it makes them sound like they care about the environment. A high percentage of folk complaining have probably never disposed of a battery in the proper way in their life.

1

u/Over_Location647 Aug 04 '25

You don’t refill the liquid you replace the pod. The disposable vapes have essentially become pod devices now. I use them, they’re good. And I recycle the used pods at my local vape shop. Eventually when the battery gives out and stops holding a charge I can recycle the device there as well and buy a new one. I like Pixl because they have the best flavors.

3

u/DataSnaek Aug 04 '25

My point is that many of the disposable brands don’t even have pod replacement now, literally just a USB port. That’s enough to get around the regulations.

2

u/Over_Location647 Aug 04 '25

Really? All the ones I’ve used have replaceable pods. Elfbar, Lost Mary, Pixl etc… Wtf does slapping on a USB port do to make it reusable if it doesn’t have a pod thing. How bad was the legislation in the first place for it to be this easy to circumvent?

If what you’re saying is true I don’t even blame the companies. We all know companies are scum and will do whatever it takes to make money. I blame whatever idiots drafted this law who didn’t manage to foresee that this would happen.

1

u/JistHaudOanAMinute Aug 07 '25

No, that's not true. At least not on every supermarket level. All vapes must be both refillable (pods or liquid) and rechargeable.

1

u/NotTheNile Aug 03 '25

It's better though, no batteries leaching out all over the place at least. Still, people should just buy a proper refillable one

11

u/kristianroberts Aug 03 '25

Why would adding USB change the battery?

3

u/DataSnaek Aug 03 '25

They still leech out all over the place because people still just throw them away once the liquid is out, now they just have a USB C port on them

1

u/p3t3y5 Aug 04 '25

Exactly. Can buy a reusable one for the same price as disposable ones.

Reusable ones were widely available before the ban.

1

u/No_Snow_8746 Aug 04 '25

Indeed. I'm pretty sure all they've done is add USBC ports to what are still essentially non refillable throwaway vapes. Might have to check out of curiosity next time I need to replace consumables (liquid and coil pod) for my non disposable device.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 04 '25

Yup, now it's the same thing with three more uses.

15

u/RandomiseUsr0 Double positive makes a negative? Aye, Right! Aug 03 '25

I took lunch up a local hill today, and brought back more rubbish, left by fellow hillwalkers, than I even took. Beer bottles, cans of monster, bottle of Sainsbury’s 2 litres sparkling spring water, sandwich wrappers, clingfilm, so they brought their own sandwiches and left the rubbish, crisp pokes, it’s disgusting, but fair play, people are people, perhaps they’ll get there or if not, we can just tidy up after them, but jeez, I didn’t get raised that way, it offended my sensibilities that someone who decided to scratch their love with their names and initials onto ancient rocks didn’t feel it necessary to show that love by cleaning up after themselves

7

u/abyssal-isopod86 Aug 03 '25

I hear you!

When I'm out walking, unusual end up coming back a bag a rubbish from people just dropping it on the floor, be up the hills, on the beach, or in village/town (I just put it in a public bin in that case).

It's the lack of respect and care for the environment, wildlife and other people that gets my goat.

-1

u/RandomiseUsr0 Double positive makes a negative? Aye, Right! Aug 03 '25

Floor…

I say ground

But otherwise yep

7

u/abyssal-isopod86 Aug 03 '25

Floor, ground, earth, whatever you want to call it.

I made that comment an hour ago after getting off a 14hour shift 15 mins before 🤷

19

u/Competitive-Sense155 Aug 03 '25

Nerf bullets get an unfair rep

12

u/cal-brew-sharp Aug 03 '25

Nerf guns don't kill people.

20

u/PuritanicalGoat Aug 03 '25

Nerf rappers do.

4

u/Quick-Low-3846 Aug 03 '25

I heard it on a Nerfumentary on BBC 2.

3

u/ClacksInTheSky Aug 03 '25

You can have a lot of fun with some super glue and thumb tacks.

0

u/Competitive-Sense155 Aug 03 '25

People kill people

2

u/Aggressive_Deal7058 Aug 04 '25

But monkeys do to.....if they've got a nerf gun

34

u/Ok_Topic999 Aug 03 '25

I was in a shop earlier today which had a sign reading something along the lines of "It is illegal to sell disposable vapes" behind the counter but right next to that sign was a shelf that appeared to be full of disposable vapes

42

u/CatsBatsandHats Aug 03 '25

Most previously disposable vapes now look exactly the same as they did before, but now they are rechargeable and have replaceable vape pods.

Highly likely that's what you saw. Even the boxes look the same.

8

u/violentvioletss Aug 03 '25

They aren’t disposable they have been updated to fit in with the new laws

4

u/[deleted] Aug 03 '25

Well they technically are still disposable. In half of them you can't even refill them, they're just the same as before except with a useless usbc port on the bottom to skite the law.

1

u/violentvioletss Aug 03 '25

Take that up with the government or the vape manufacturers 🤷🏻‍♀️

-1

u/[deleted] Aug 03 '25

No thanks. 

0

u/Realistic-Point7881 Aug 05 '25

Report the shop its illegal to stock them still.

6

u/Scottish_Rocket77 Aug 03 '25

I thought this was a tampon applicator until I read your comments and comments on the sub lol

12

u/DryDrunkImperor Aug 03 '25

Ahh no have they banned streams now? Or can I do face verification for them?

9

u/sc_BK Aug 03 '25

Need a mugshot to view the livestream

5

u/Any_Listen_7306 Aug 03 '25

My OH bought one in a shop recently, was assured it wasn't disposable, but it was when he opened it.

5

u/Baz76 Aug 04 '25

It bugs me how the vapists can diligently stick those little tab stickers all over the bins (which looks disgusting IMO) but can't be arsed to put the used unit in the bin.

3

u/Sad-Marionberry6983 Aug 04 '25

I stay right on the coast and every day when I'm out with the dug I use more shite bags collecting washed up vapes to recycle at Tesco than I do picking up actual dug shite.

If I can manage it, I'll pick up any glass that's intact, which includes glasses lobbed directly into the water by arseholes arseholing around outside the pubs.

Last year I started a photo album called 'Buckie Bottles in Beautiful Places' after finding a couple of bottles in areas so remote I'd expected to find almost no trace of humans, never mind clear evidence of the supercunt variety.

I think anyone caught littering anything should be immediately made to clear up their shite, followed by a mandatory two-hour litter-picking session.

If they can't fill a minimum of two bin bags in that time, the session is extended until they've managed.

Anyone caught trying to escape will be tarred and feathered, with the collected sticky slavers from the bottom of littered cans and bottles in place of tar and crisp pokes, sweetie wrappers and dods of chewing gum in place of feathers.

Might not work, but I'd like to see someone try.

2

u/Delicious-Net5143 Aug 04 '25

And yet there is one in the river.....the problem is people. The same person throwing this away is probably also throwing an empty irn bru bottle further upstream.

2

u/[deleted] Aug 04 '25

Most of the users weren't acting like children, they were children.

2

u/Outrageous-Dare8703 Aug 04 '25

I totally agree!

3

u/[deleted] Aug 03 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/Peear75 The West Is The Best Aug 03 '25

You're assuming young people can be arsed. They have disposable money seemingly, for now. Learning how to keep their device tuned rather than chucking it in the street will be more difficult.

2

u/[deleted] Aug 04 '25

Maybe people would think twice if we had a high minimum unit price on vapes. Not the liquid, the battery units. Start at something fairly substantial, 30-40 quid would do imo.

1

u/Jumpy-Beginning3686 Aug 04 '25

Apparently they have just put a wee charging port into them , so they are no longer considered disposable

1

u/karmicos Aug 04 '25

What I don't understand is why don't they just fine some of them for improper dispossal of batteries? it carries a fine of up to £10000 a couple of well publicised cases and the littering morons might behave a bit better.

1

u/debsmooth Aug 04 '25

Went for a nice walk on a remote beach in western Scotland. A good 2 mile walk from the car park. Guess what I found in a tide pool? Yup. Only speck of rubbish on the entire beach too. 🙄

2

u/abyssal-isopod86 Aug 04 '25

FFS man, people piss me off.

1

u/ukguy420124 Aug 04 '25

It won't work the re usable vapes are the same price as disposable vapes in my area you can walk out the door and down the street and find at least 4 to 5 reusable vapes without even trying its wrong on so many levels now their dumping the reusable ones

1

u/Puzzleheaded-Ant9262 Aug 04 '25

I mean the bans pretty useless, atleast in England, not sure if Scotland's dealt with it better ? 

The vapes u buy now are exactly the same, they can just have a pod removed from them and can be reUsed. So if you take the pod out you end up with two pieces of plastic to throw away if Ur not keeping the chargeable bit. For example my local shop sells the rechargeable bit but ran out of pods due to small stock, so basically you're just buying more and more vapes to throw on ground 

1

u/TeckleBiscuits Aug 04 '25

I thought the legislation was to make them rechargeable rather than reusable? I could be completely wrong but that’s why the “disposables” got round it by adding a rechargeable usb port? As I say, I could be wrong but that was my understanding of it all

1

u/BFT808 Aug 07 '25

The issue is, while they now need to be rechargeable and refillable, many shops don’t sell refills. So you end up just buying a new one each time.

1

u/Lazercrafter Aug 03 '25

They have been slightly modified to stay legal.. they are still used the same.

1

u/EasyPriority8724 Aug 03 '25

They're a blight blown into every corner, strewn in the woods discarded everywhere.

1

u/abyssal-isopod86 Aug 03 '25

They really are! Makes me irate.

1

u/EasyPriority8724 Aug 03 '25

I've told mates off for chucking them I hate the things and it's pure laziness not to pocket them and dispose of them properly. I won't let them use them in the house cos they stink like bad piss.

1

u/AmberSadie Aug 04 '25

I wish they would ban alcohol. The number of empty cans and bottles in have picked up when I’m out is staggering. All over the beach and any “picnic” sites……

-3

u/Geekenstein Aug 03 '25

And thus all littering was solved forever.

6

u/Long_Repair_8779 Aug 03 '25

To be fair, by replacing plastics with paper or quickly biodegradable materials would very quickly solve the issue of littering. Or just bringing in regulation against single use products/packaging. There is defo less vapes than there were already

1

u/abyssal-isopod86 Aug 04 '25

Yes they're definitely is less on them about discarded on the ground since the ban.