Brandenburg’s Consumer Protection Minister, Hanka Mittelstädt, has declared Germany’s new mandatory return policy for disposable e-cigarettes as merely an interim step, urging a rapid and complete ban on the products.
The SPD politician warned that disposable vapes are not just an environmental nuisance but a severe safety hazard. When lithium batteries from these devices are improperly discarded in household trash, they frequently spark dangerous, toxic fires at waste management facilities.
While a new law effective July 1 forces all sales points – including small kiosks and gas stations – to take back used devices, local leaders argue this is insufficient. In response, Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider announced plans to present a legislative draft later this year to officially ban disposable vapes nationwide, citing the urgent need to mitigate fire risks and curb nicotine addiction among youth.
