Waste management company Biffa is warning business owners they risk significant fines if they do not comply with waste regulations – including the provision of a takeback system for consumers. It says that non-compliance could mean fines of up to £5,000 at a Magistrates Court, and potentially unlimited fines at Crown Court.
Even once the ban on single-use vape sales comes into place in June next year in England, Wales and Scotland, businesses will still need to have takeback schemes in place to comply with Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations. Rechargeable or refillable vapes, while not covered by the ban, are still covered by WEEE regulations, and so takeback systems must be in place for their disposal.
Under WEEE rules, consumers must be able to dispose of vapes at the shop they were purchased from, if that store sells more than £100,000 worth of WEEE of any type per year.
Stores will need to communicate that they provide this service, record all the vapes they collect and dispose of, and maintain a record of how customers are informed about the service in their store, in order to avoid the fine.
The warning comes as a survey from Biffa found that only 25% of small business owners have a vape takeback scheme in place, while only another 36% intend to implement a scheme in the future. This suggests a large number of SMEs are unaware of the financial risk this poses for their business, says the organisation.
Biffa’s reactive services expert Daniel Barrett, says that retailers need to be aware that the ban on disposable vapes does not rid them of their waste responsiblities.
“All retailers and businesses that generate vape waste must recognise, though, that the ban does not remove their obligations to ensure it is managed compliantly. Due consideration must also be given to the impact of the transition to new types of vape which are appearing in ever-increasing numbers even before the ban takes effect.”
