A leading disposable vape company has been ordered to take down “misleading” London bus adverts after being accused by campaigners of “greenwashing”.
Elf Bar placed “green awareness” adverts on London buses telling customers to “recycle for a greener future” while promoting its latest range of disposable vapes. The adverts also appeared at the side of some bus stands.
But campaigners say it is extremely difficult to recycle disposable vapes because they are designed not to be taken apart, with Greenpeace accusing the company of trying to “greenwash” an “environmental menace”.
In a ruling on Wednesday, the advertising watchdog ordered Elf Bar to stop using the ads, saying they misled customers.
The Advertising Standards Authority ruled: “We considered that the inaccurate impression that the products were fully recyclable combined with the claim "for a greener future" exaggerated the environmental benefit of the products and was therefore likely to mislead consumers.”
It added: “The ads must not appear again in the forms complained of.”
Around 1.3 million single-use vapes are thrown away every week, according to research by environmental charity Material Focus, each containing a small amount of precious lithium. The products have also been criticised for starting fires in bin lorries.
Councils across England and Wales earlier this year called for a total ban of disposable vapes on environmental grounds, saying they were “almost impossible to recycle without going through special treatment”.
The products may be recycled at some local authority locations and retailers, but these options are “limited” and “may not be easy for consumers to access”, the ASA said.
An Elf Bar spokesperson said it had developed new products which were easier to recycle than previous iterations, and that it was encouraging its customers to think of the environment.
“We are disappointed by any confusion this advertisement may have caused,” said a spokesman, who said the company “respected” the ruling.
“Furthermore, we regret it has distracted from the progress of our GreenAwareness recycling project – a genuine and important effort to make it easier for adults to dispose of single-use vapes responsibly.”
TfL has previously said ads for e-cigarettes are allowed on outdoor ad sites as long as they meet UK ad rules.
The Government last month vowed to “clamp down” on the sale of disposable vapes over both environmental concerns and fears that they are surging in popularity among children.
Flavours and packaging could also come under new regulations, with a consultation due to end on December 6.
Ministers are also proposing legislation which would steadily increase the smoking age, meaning anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 would never be able to legally buy a cigarettes in England and Wales.
