The Local Government Association (LGA) says the number of vapes thrown away each week has fallen since disposables were banned, but only from 8.2 million per week to about six million.
Some firms offer reusable vapes which are similar in size and price to popular disposable models, but added USB ports and reusable tanks make them qualify as reusable.
The LGA has called for these to be banned. Chairwoman of the LGA’s health and wellbeing committee, councillor Dr Wendy Taylor, said year two of the ban must focus on enforcement and closing the “loophole” of these vapes.
“A year on, the volume of vapes in our bins has dropped, but industry has moved faster than regulation – the products causing fires in our bin lorries today are effectively the same disposables in a different shell,” she said.
Marcus Saxton, chairman of the Independent British Vape Trade Association, conceded there was “more to be done” in encouraging people to recycle vapes.
But he warned a deposit scheme would encourage people to buy from illicit retailers who didn’t make them pay it.
“Those retailers that aren’t abiding by their legal obligation won’t do this, it won’t be enforced, and ultimately consumers will go to that route to purchase which is a complete disaster,” Saxton said.
He added that “we know that there are a number of illicit retailers at the moment that are either taking supply from the black market or just not abiding by their legal obligations today”.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs did not directly respond to questions about a refundable deposit for vapes.
Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said the government had taken “decisive action” to address the harm caused by disposable vapes.
She said ministers “are committed to going further” by holding retailers to account if they do not have vape recycling bins.