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The Latest Breaking News from Material Focus

Britons to buy 8m mini fans this year – but almost half will end up in landfill

Shoppers urged to seek quality products or alternatives as data shows demand surpassing last year’s total

The Guardian - UK

Government urged to crack down on cheap vapes circumventing single-use ban

Vape makers have developed cheap, new styles that meet the legal requirements yet are sold, priced and used in the same way as the disposable models.

Evening Standard

More than 6m vapes and pods discarded weekly in UK despite single-use ban, study finds

Number fell 23% year on year in 2025 but waste companies say recycling systems still under strain from sheer volume

The Guardian - UK

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UK households bin 168m Christmas lights and ‘fast tech’ items a year

Consumers spent £1.7bn on festive lighting last year and much of it is treated as disposable

The Guardian - UK

Warning issued over Christmas lights amid fire safety fears

Christmas lights are often powered by lithium-ion batteries which, when placed in everyday rubbish bins, can get crushed in bin lorries or at waste sites, sparking dangerous fires

The Independent UK

Vape sellers to pay disposal costs under plans to end UK’s ‘throwaway culture’

Ministers say online vendors of electrical goods such as microwaves will also have to contribute to recycling fees

The Guardian - UK

Amazon and eBay must report electronics sold in UK under new recycling rules

Foreign companies selling electronics to British shoppers via online platforms like Amazon and eBay will have to start contributing to e-waste costs.

The Independent UK

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The hottest trend of the summer? Mini fans

IN FOCUS: As temperatures rise across the UK, the miniature fan is having a moment. Katie Rosseinsky explores how they became a summer essential – and asks whether they’re just another throwaway product that’s bad for the environment

The Independent UK

‘It’s cheap but it’s not disposable’: why fast tech is a growing waste problem

Low-cost and quickly discarded products are playing a key role in world’s fastest-growing waste problem – electronics

The Guardian - UK

Mini-fans among products fuelling ‘fast tech’ waste crisis, campaigners warn

UK consumers bought 7.1 million mini-fans in the last year, research suggests.

The Independent UK

Vapers warned not to stockpile ‘fire risk’ disposables before UK ban

The ban, enforced from Sunday, is designed to reduce youth vaping and tackle environmental damage

The Guardian - UK

Warning over environmental ‘vapocalypse’ despite ban on disposable versions

Campaigners are concerned consumers may notice no difference between single-use vapes and new models flooding the market.

The Independent UK

Safe and easy ways to recycle electricals – and even get money for your old gadgets

From collection bins at your local supermarket to trading in or reselling, there are options for unwanted tech

The Guardian - UK

More than a million vapes a day in UK thrown away, says research

From June 2025 it will be illegal to sell single-use vapes to combat environmental damage

The Guardian - UK

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The Independent UK

Sale of cheap ‘big puff’ vapes driving waste crisis, campaigners warn

Concerns are growing over new models coming to market that are driving up the waste crisis as the incoming ban on single-use vapes looms.

The Independent UK

Disposable vapes set to be banned across Britain from summer of 2025

The ban comes amid fears children are illegally buying and becoming hooked on the flavoured devices

The Guardian - UK

Vapes redesigned to avoid UK crackdown could lead to more waste, say critics

Reusable varieties unlikely to dent environmental impact of e-cigarette waste, even as they curb battery waste

The Guardian - UK

Millions of vapes could be dumped before UK ban as retailers ‘fail to recycle’

Nine out of 10 producers and sellers do not fulfil their legal duty to help consumers dispose of e-cigarettes, study shows

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The Guardian - UK

Millions of vapes could be dumped ahead of UK ban as retailers ‘fail to recycle’

Nine out of ten producers and sellers do not fulfil their legal duty to help consumers dispose of e-cigarettes, study shows

The Guardian - UK

Retailers to pay for consumers’ e-waste recycling from 2026 under UK plans

Households will be able to drop off cables and other electrical waste in-store or have home collections, says Defra

The Guardian - UK

Half a billion cheap electrical items go to UK landfills in a year, research finds

Research by Material Focus shows everyday items such as disposable vapes are a big contributing factor

The Guardian - UK

Ban on single-use vapes in UK may ‘flood market with illegal products’

Ministers said to be planning to legislate against the devices because of concerns about children’s health

The Independent UK

Single use vapes set to be banned over child addiction concerns

Disposable vapes come in sweet and fruity flavours and are often placed near sweets or the front counters of shops

The Guardian - UK

Ministers set to ban single-use vapes in UK over child addiction fears

Government understood to have concluded the disposable nicotine products are mainly aimed at under-18s

Evening Standard

Five million single-use vapes discarded each week, research finds

The study also showed that just 17 per cent of vapers dispose of their vapes in the correct way

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