In recent months, the environmental impact of disposable vapes has been brought to light, with ITV News claiming 1.3 million bars are being thrown into landfill every week; this is causing a big area for concern. Recently the MHRA investigated Elf Bars and discovered that many had been found to have twice the legal limit of liquid in the devices.
Many supermarkets, such as Tesco, WHSmith and Morrisons, have removed Elf Bars from their shelves, albeit potentially only temporarily. Consequently, the spotlight has been put on disposables.
Certain media outlets have stated that disposables have twice the legal limit of nicotine, which is technically true; however, we know that the strength per volume of nicotine is still within the legal limit. They have just been overfilled, so it’s not a cause for concern for a 20mg/ml vaper – more of a technicality.
With parliament discussing a bill to prohibit the sale of disposable electronic cigarettes last week and the second reading of the bill on 24 March 2023, could this be the end of disposable e-cigarettes for the UK?
If disposable e-cigs are banned, what do I do?
Although it would be much better environmentally if Elf Bars, Elux Bars and Lost Marys were banned, a huge number of people who have quit smoking using these bars may go back to smoking. So, what other options do you have as a disposable vape user?
The simplest and most efficient route would be to purchase a re-usable pod device, many people that have tried to vape in the past found it was too much of a faff to change and prime coils and all the rest, but since the rise of disposables, hardware manufacturers have produced much more user-friendly and more convenient ways to start vaping, such as the Ursa Nano. This device is so simple to use with an auto draw, so there are no buttons to keep things really simple; the pod just simply gets filled up with your desired liquid, and all you have to do is keep topping the liquid up!
To give an idea, a legal Elf Bar holds 2ml of liquid, and so does the Ursa Nano pod; so, in theory, you’ll only have to fill up as often as you would normally chuck a bar in the bin! When the pod starts to taste burnt, you simply throw the pod (just the top) and replace it. Yes, the device needs to be charged, but with USB-C charging, it takes around 20-30mins to fully charge, which is a full day for most people.
To really get the Elf Bar experience, you can even buy Elf Liq, which is the liquid that Elf Bar uses in its disposables. The cost-benefit for a user is massive. If you consider that an average user goes through one disposable a day, this is based on £4.99 is around £150 a month. In contrast, an Ursa Nano, the equivalent consumption, including the £19.99 initial upfront, would cost approximately £20 in juice (60ml of liquid) and probably around six pods, which would cost £18, giving you a saving of around £92 per month if you replaced the device every month, which you don’t have to! That’s a cheap way to vape Elf Bars!
How to Get Off Disposable Vapes
This is a common concern we hear in-store and from our online customers, and the main way we help people get off disposables is a pod system. These include the Ursa Nano or the Xros Mini, which you can find in our MTL device section. The easiest way to stop using disposables is to get an MTL pod kit, as mentioned, and then use a ‘Bar-style liquid’, such as Elf Liq or Bar Juice. These brands and all the other Bar-style liquids have extra flavour concentrate to really pack a punch, so they taste like disposable bars such as Elf Bar.
Each disposable vape can have a legal limit of 2ml of liquid, which is deemed 500-600 puffs per bar, whereas the Elux Legends or Lost Mary 3500 have 3500 puffs (10ml of liquid in a bar), which is illegal; however, using 10ml Elf Bar liquid (Elf Liq) is the same amount that is in an Elux Legend 3500 puff, yet is fully legal!
You will find that using Bar Liquids in an MTL device will actually have a stronger flavour than normal disposable vapes due to the power of the devices and the type of coils. We would suggest that if you are on a high nicotine disposable, such as 20mg, you will probably find that 10mg/ml will cut it due to the increase in power of the device.
Once you have moved on to an Elf Bar liquid and gotten used to using a refillable device, you’ll notice that the pods last around two to five days, so the next step is to try one of our DSG juices. The coil life of these will actually last a significantly longer period reducing the number of pods you will have to go through, yet again, saving money.
Most pod devices, such as the Ursa Nano, have an auto-draw function, which is the same as how an Elf Bar works; there are no buttons to confuse things. Pod devices also have a 2ml pod, which is the equivalent of one Elf Bar, so you only re-fill as often as you would replace a disposable anyway. The result of buying a 10ml liquid with the device is that you are effectively buying a cheap 3500 puff disposable legally (equivalent), which is much better for the environment and your pocket!
Get into Vape Kits with Dispergo
We do have a bundle for £35, in which you get everything you need for the equivalent of three Elux Legends 3500 puffs or 15 Elf Bars 600 puffs, in our Disposable Quit Kit. It’s worth noting that once the kit is bought, the device itself does not need to be replaced regularly; it’s just the pods and the liquid. Maintenance for a re-usable device is very simple, just keep topping up the pod when it runs low so you never run the pod dry (as it will burn the cotton) and when the pod starts to taste burnt (similar to a disposable when it’s coming to an end) you simply throw the pod in the bin and replace with a new pod. Charge the battery when it is low (charging to full takes typically 20-30mins).
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Disposable Quit Kit V2£24.99
So, in conclusion, disposable vapes may be very convenient and cheap to buy individually, but for a long-term solution to quitting smoking, a re-usable pod kit is almost just as simple as replacing the pods, topping up liquid and charging (which is easier and takes less time than going to the shops to buy your disposables) re-usable vapes will save a lot of money and time and the environmental impact!
