Europe: Will Disposable Pod Vapes Be Banned by 2027?

According to an ECigIntelligence report released on October 4, disposable pod vapes currently account for nearly 40% of the global vaping market. However, a new regulation will effectively force disposable pod vapes out of the European market. The end for the small disposable vaping devices flooding Europe may arrive in 2027.

On July 12, the European Parliament passed a new law on batteries and battery packs (2023/1542). The legislation took effect on August 17 and aims to “ensure that batteries are sustainable throughout their entire life cycle, from material sourcing to collection, including recycling and repurposing.” The regulation is intended to prevent and reduce the negative environmental impact of batteries.

As part of a broader ecological approach across all European Union (EU) member states, this new directive updates the previous 2006 directive and will affect all industries, including vaping devices.

“This Regulation applies to all categories of batteries, namely portable batteries, starting, lighting and ignition batteries (SLI batteries), light means of transport batteries (LMT batteries), electric vehicle batteries and industrial batteries, regardless of their shape, volume, weight, design, material composition, chemical composition, use or purpose. It also applies to batteries incorporated into or added to products, or specifically designed to be incorporated into or added to products,” Article 1 states.

Article 11 explains that any legal or natural person placing equipment containing batteries on the market must ensure that the batteries “can be readily removed and replaced by the end user.” Since disposable pod vapes do not allow battery replacement, they will become prohibited products within the EU. 

Other articles in the regulation mention many additional obligations for manufacturers, especially regarding the traceability, recycling, composition, transport, and even the procedures for placing every battery on the European market.

Disposable pod vapes are often described as an ecological anomaly, and they have already been banned in some places. In France, for example, the government has recently expressed its intention to ban disposable pod vapes, while Germany has already done so.