CLOSE TO 85% of respondents to a recent public consultation on disposable vaping devices support banning their use.

In June, the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications opened the public consultation.

It was due to run until 27 July but was extended to 11 August to ensure that it reached as many interested parties as possible.

France’s prime minister Élisabeth Borne yesterday announced that her country would move to ban disposable vapes.

In a statement to The Journal, a spokesperson for the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications said the results of the recent public consultation here are being analysed and will inform the environmental response to treatment of disposable vapes.

Disposable vapes are electronic cigarettes that are not rechargeable, and the rechargeable cigarettes were not included in this consultation.

The spokesperson added that “the Department will make comprehensive information in relation to the consultation available on its website shortly”.

However, the spokesperson shared an initial review of the data with The Journal.

3,246 submissions were made, including 143 from retailers.

Of those respondents, 84.6% support the banning of disposable vaping devices and 91% agreed that single use vapes are an environmental concern.

However, 62.7% of respondents stated that they did not know the correct way to dispose of disposable vapes.

A further 16.2% thought that disposable vapes should be disposed of in the general waste bin.

Disposable vapes are difficult to recycle and some use lithium-ion batteries which can over heat and catch fire, making them a hazard to waste collection workers and others.

Meanwhile, respondents who did not support a ban on disposable vaping devices were then asked what measures they would like to see.

Of those who replied to that additional question,872 opted for the following response: “A deposit return scheme to incentivise those who use disposable vapes to return the devices to retailers when empty. New legislation could be introduced to require producers to fund these arrangements.”

137 responded with “Improve the existing collection and recycling system”, and 241 responded with “Improve awareness on how to dispose of disposable vapes.”