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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Kirsty Paterson

Bid to ban disposal vapes set to be backed by Falkirk Council

Falkirk Council will call for a national ban on disposable vapes, if a motion going to council is successful.

SNP councillor Iain Sinclair, the administration's climate change spokesperson, hopes that other parties will support his call for the Scottish Government to ban disposable vapes, which he says "have a severe impact on our environment".

Cllr Sinclair, who represents Falkirk North, says the vapes do not just cause unsightly litter but also can be dangerous if they are not disposed of correctly, as they contain combustible materials.

READ MORE: 'Outlander' village makes final plea to Falkirk Council to keep 'vital' public toilets open

Research has found that around 1.3 million so called "disposable" vapes are littered and binned each week, each containing a range of precious materials, including lithium and copper which can be collected if recycled in a safe and appropriate manner.

Speaking before the meeting, he said: "I think we are all attuned to noticing litter – it’s unsightly, it’s damaging and, to be honest, it’s completely unacceptable.

"However, in and around the communities that I live in and represent I personally have noticed these wee, bright-coloured, plastic-looking things about the place.

"It wasn’t until I started looking into it further a few months ago that I became aware of the real issues there appear to be right across Scotland and beyond."

Cllr Sinclair discovered there was a national campaign being run by climate scientist and activist, Laura Young and after a mutual friend put them in touch he began working to bring his motion to council.

He said: "Litter is hugely damaging to our communities and local environment anyway. But these disposable vapes pose a threat that many people perhaps aren’t aware of.

"There is a need to ensure these devices are disposed of appropriately and responsibly.

"That’s not to take away the responsibility that producers have under the existing regulations to provide a safe disposal route for these devices.

The Scottish Government announced an urgent review into disposable vapes earlier this year and Falkirk Council, if this motion is passed, will join calls from across Scotland for a ban to be brought forward.

He added: "Since February, colleagues in local authorities in Dundee, Glasgow and Renfrewshire have all made the same call.

"I hope that by raising this motion we can educate as many people as possible to the consequences of simply throwing disposable vapes away and the impact they have on our environment.

"Highlighting these issues will hopefully help to make the places we call home cleaner and healthier for everyone to enjoy."

Councillor Sinclair's motion will need to approved by the Provost and the leaders of the political groups for discussion at Wednesday's meeting of Falkirk Council or it will be referred to the executive for a decision.

Neil McLaren, co-CEO of Vaping.com/uk said that the councils are choosing the wrong target.

He said: "The councils should work on reducing the smoking rate in Scotland – which has the highest smoking rates in Britain – instead of carping on about vapes.

"If they encourage smokers to switch instead of banning vapes, they can make a real difference to public health and the planet, rather than thinking they’re setting a precedent."

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