The German Environmental Aid association (DUH) is calling for a nationwide ban on disposable e-cigarettes, criticizing a new amendment to the Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act as insufficient to tackle the growing waste and health risks associated with these products. The Bundestag is voting today on the amendment, which includes provisions to expand the take-back program for disposable vapes at retail locations.

Health policymakers in Germany are calling for an early ban on disposable e-cigarettes and advocating for more comprehensive measures to curb youth vaping, including a ban on flavored products. Hendrik Streeck (CDU), the German Federal Government’s Drug Commissioner, told the “Rheinische Post” that while an EU-wide ban on disposables is correct, it is likely “only a drop in the ocean” as many manufacturers are already shifting to products with replaceable batteries.

Germany’s Bundesrat (Federal Council), representing the country’s federal states, is once again urging for a national ban on single-use disposable e-cigarettes. In a formal statement, the council argues that these products pose a significant threat to the environment and the recycling industry. When improperly discarded in household waste, valuable raw materials like lithium are lost, and the risk of fires caused by these batteries places a heavy financial burden, amounting to billions in costs, on recycling and disposal facilities.