Disposable vape: 'More and more' disposable vapes found in UK rivers 'leaking chemicals' into water - 'what real hope is there?'

Disposable vapes lying in riverbeds is “another aspect of pollution that is sadly getting worse”, Mr Barrow from Beneath British Waters said. He added: “I started to notice vapes in rivers last year but this year there has definitely been an increase on these being found in rivers.

“Leaking chemicals into the environment as they just sit there on the river bed. Nicotine, and chemicals from the plastic into the water.”

He said that when people throw them into rivers they think “it is just gone but it is not”, instead “it’s there just sitting on the river bed probably for hundreds of years.” Mr Barrow told NationalWorld it is “now becoming a problem that I notice regularly.”

Mr Barrow posted a video on X, formerly Twitter, showing a disposable vape lying on a riverbed surrounded by fish. He wrote on X: “Finding more and more of these on dives in rivers with this particular one in a very deep section of river, 7m to be precise, very dark and unforgiving place. Vape runs out so thrown in the river and it has gone, but it is not. It is still there.”

Users responded to the post in disgust, with one saying: “I think this reflects some people's attitude to the environment; "couldn't care less!” Throw it in the river, toss your rubbish from the car and leave litter at the beach.

“Some people would be happy to be knee-deep in rubbish. Disgraceful, disgusting.” Another user wrote: “The damn things should have been banned from the word go”.

Laura Young, leading a campaign to ban disposable vapes, also responded to the post on X saying: “Disposables vapes are having endless amounts of impacts on our environment. They need to be banned. Will @UKLabour commit to the 1st of April 2025 ban like the previous government did?”.

Mr Barrow questioned “what real hope” there is to save the environment when he sees vapes thrown into rivers alongside other pollutions such as sewage discharges. He said: “What real hope is there when a majority never will care about the environment and certainly freshwater? Is it so hard for us to do what's right? Have we lost all our pride and love for the natural world?”.