A single social media post by environmental influencer Laura Young has culminated in a UK-wide ban on disposable vapes now coming into force. Young, known online as “Less Waste Laura,” began her campaign in 2022 after noticing significant numbers of discarded vapes while walking her dog in Dundee, Scotland.

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“I was sick of litter picking disposable vapes,” Young said of her initial motivation. Her first TikTok video on the issue garnered 10.5 million views, quickly transforming a personal concern into a national conversation.

Within five weeks of Young’s initial post, the issue had made headlines across the UK. As the BBC reports, the Scottish government subsequently commissioned an urgent report, which revealed that 2.7 million vapes were littered on Scotland’s streets in a single year—approximately 10% of those consumed.

The environmental concerns extend beyond litter. In 2022, a fire that destroyed a recycling facility in Aberdeen, Scotland, was “most likely” caused by a discarded vape. The lithium-ion batteries in these devices can spontaneously combust when damaged, as seen in the Aberdeen blaze, which took just 10 seconds to engulf the facility.

From Regional to National Implementation

The Scottish ban was first proposed in February 2024 and was scheduled for implementation in April that year. The UK and Welsh governments subsequently announced similar measures, prompting Scotland to delay its ban by two months to align with the nationwide approach.

“It’s fantastic to know that throughout the campaign we were really building up momentum,” Young said of the policy achievement, adding that the initiative has also raised awareness about other disposable technologies and their environmental impact.

Young’s campaign parallels recent developments in Australia, where the government has implemented its own vape crackdown while partnering with popular influencers to communicate anti-vape messaging to young people.

Public health expert Dr. Brittany Tayler warns that vaping causes more harm than good. “It’s been more likely to cause heart attacks, more likely to have strokes, more likely to cause you to gain weight and have pre-diabetes, probably decreases the immune system,” Tayler states. 

She adds that vaping also has impacts on the environment: “E-cigarettes, because they have a battery, and then they also have nicotine, which is a carcinogen, can’t be thrown away. And so it’s very complicated because it’s a hazardous waste.”