When the UK disposable vape ban arrived, many vapers expected the worst. Disposables were simple, strongly flavoured and helped huge numbers of smokers finally quit cigarettes. At Go Smoke Free, we heard real concern from customers who used them every day. The assumption was that disposable flavour would disappear and vaping would return to the days of complicated tanks and messy refills.

Now that the ban is in place, something very different has happened. The ban forced the industry to evolve. Manufacturers responded with reusable devices, prefilled pod vape kits and nicotine salt e liquids that mimic disposable flavour exactly, while reducing waste and long-term cost. The vaping landscape has changed, but it has changed for the better.

Disposables were popular because they worked. A smoker could buy one, inhale, and immediately replace a cigarette without learning about coils, wattage or refilling. But convenience came with a heavy environmental cost.

By early 2024, around 5 million disposable vapes were being thrown away in the UK every week (Material Focus) this was four times more than the previous year. Most were not recycled. They were crushed in bin lorries or buried in landfill, despite containing lithium batteries, aluminium, copper and steel. That wasted lithium alone could power thousands of electric vehicles each year.

It was not only a waste problem. Crushed vapes caused fires at recycling centres and in waste collection vehicles. Disposables were also littered across streets, parks and waterways. Alongside this, usage was highest among young adults. In the 16 to 24 age group, disposable use fell from 63 percent to 35 percent as soon as the ban was announced (BBC) showing the scale of the problem.

Anyone who wants guidance on how to dispose of old devices responsibly can visit Recycle Your Vapes Guide.

Cost: For many former disposable users, the first noticeable change is how much cheaper it becomes to vape. A lot of people were buying a new disposable every day or two, and the weekly cost added up fast. With a pod kit, you only pay for replacement pods rather than replacing the whole device. The battery is rechargeable, the hardware lasts much longer, and the pods themselves cost far less than buying a full disposable each time.

Most vapers find that the savings build up quickly. A pod kit might cost a little more on day one, but after a few days of use, the difference becomes clear. By the end of a month, the cost gap is even bigger. Instead of throwing away a full device every time the liquid runs dry, you keep the kit and only replace the small pod.

Flavour: Disposables earned their popularity through strong, sweet flavours and smooth nic salt blends. Some vapers expected flavour to take a step back after the ban, but the opposite has happened. Modern prefilled pods use mesh coils and controlled power output to deliver fuller flavour and better consistency than most disposables ever did.

Each pod has a fresh coil and fresh wick, so the taste stays clean from start to finish. There is no burnt taste at the end of the liquid, no loss of flavour as the battery weakens and no guessing whether a device is about to run out. The final puff is just as smooth and satisfying as the first.

Ease of Use: People loved disposables because there was nothing to learn you open, inhale and you were vaping. Pod systems were designed with that same simplicity in mind. The process is straightforward: open the pod, click it into the device and start vaping. Some pods have small seals to remove first, but it takes a few seconds at most.

There are no messy refills, no coil changes and no complicated settings to worry about. When a pod is empty, it simply clicks out and a fresh one clicks in. The only added step is charging the battery, and most pod kits use fast USB-C charging that tops up quickly. For most users, the tiny bit of extra effort is worth it for the lower cost and longer lifespan.

Availability: Part of what pushed disposable vapes into the mainstream was how easy they were to buy. You could find them in supermarkets, corner shops, petrol stations and online without any trouble. After the ban, many vapers assumed pod kits would be harder to get, but that hasn’t happened.

Prefilled pod kits filled the gap almost immediately. The same retailers that used to sell disposables now carry pod kits and replacement pods, and the range keeps growing. Vape stores and supermarkets stock them, and online retailers offer even larger selections of flavours and nicotine strengths.

In short, pod kits have taken the place of disposables in both convenience and availability. Whether you prefer to shop locally or order online, finding pods is now just as easy as buying disposables ever was.

Some vapers worried that switching to pods would mean constantly charging or changing pods. Big puff rechargeable systems were created for exactly that concern.

These kits offer thousands of puffs from a single pod rotation or refill, and they are still inhale activated. You vape, recharge and carry on, without refilling bottles or replacing coils. Big puff vapes sit neatly between disposables and traditional refillable vapes, giving vapers long life and strong flavour with almost no effort.

Brands such as IVG, Elf Bar, SKE Crystal, PIXL and Lost Mary redesigned their most popular disposable flavours to work in pod form. The taste is the same, the nicotine strength is the same, and the user experience is the same. Only the waste has changed.

The biggest concern for disposable users was losing their favourite blends. Flavours like Blue Razz Lemonade, Watermelon Ice, Strawberry Kiwi and Cherry Cola helped millions of smokers walk away from cigarettes. After the ban, those flavours did not vanish. They moved into pods and bottled liquids.

Vapers now have two choices:

 • Prefilled pods that click into a device
 • Nic salt e liquids for refillable pod kits

Both are built to match disposable-style flavour and smoothness. If a vaper enjoyed fruity ice profiles or fizzy lemonade blends, they can still get them today in a reusable format.

The disposable ban changed the industry, but not in the way many expected. Instead of removing choice, it increased it. Manufacturers are now competing on pod life, battery strength, flavour accuracy and charging speed. Hardware is designed to last months instead of days, and vapers get better value in return.

A disposable vape was a temporary solution. A prefilled pod vape kit can become a long-term setup. For anyone who wants a simple, ready-to-use device, our full range of vape kits has something to suit every vaper including refillable pod vape kits. 

Disposables played an important role in vaping. They helped many smokers quit, and they made vaping simple. While the ban initially felt dramatic, it forced vaping into a more sustainable and more innovative future. The flavour we all loved has not disappeared. Convenience has not disappeared. The only thing missing is unnecessary waste.

For our team, we believe prefilled pod vape kits are the next chapter of easy vaping in the UK. They are cleaner, cheaper, stronger in flavour and designed to last. From what we have seen so far, this is not a step backwards. It is a much better way forward.

If you want longer vaping time and bigger flavour, big-puff rechargeable vapes are worth a look. These devices are fully TPD compliant, USB-rechargeable and built to deliver thousands more puffs than a standard disposable. With options that run anywhere from 5000 up to 50,000 puffs, they can save regular users time, money and hassle. Popular choices include Hayati, Elf Bar, Lost Mary, IVG and Pyne Pod.

You can browse the full range of big puff vapes, or, if you want something reusable straight away, it’s easy to build your own vape kit. Our vape starter kits are ideal for anyone who wants a longer-lasting setup, and you can still enjoy disposable-style taste with the disposable vape flavours collection.