Glastonbury Festival Bans Single-Use Vapes

Music fans heading to Glastonbury festival this month must leave their disposable vapes at home as the event banned e-cigarettes. Organizers have added single-use smoking devices to the official “do not bring” list, which includes gazebos, knives, and non-biodegradable body glitter. 

Of disposable vapes – which contain lithium batteries – Glastonbury’s website says they “pollute the environment and can be hazardous at waste centers.” The message also urges festival-goers to “reduce, reuse and recycle” and steer clear of single-use items like body wipes. 

Glastonbury’s vape ban isn’t the event’s first rodeo with environmentally-friendly practices, as the mammoth festival banned plastic use in 2019. 

Last month, industry experts reported that disposable vapes are behind the dramatic uptick in recycling plant fires. 

This surge heightens the risk of extensive blazes and threatens to release toxic fumes, jeopardizing air quality. Recycling companies are grappling with an influx of vapes in their disposal pipelines, so much so that insuring their facilities is becoming an increasingly difficult task.

In the UK, approximately 1.3 million single-use devices are finding their way into waste streams weekly. The number represents a staggering rise since the first vape was sold in 2019.

People often improperly dispose of smoking devices, littering them on roadsides or tossing them into general waste bins.

Glastonbury’s 2023 edition will kick off on June 21st at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset. Artists like Elton John, Arctic Monkeys, and Guns N’ Roses will top the bill. Other acts include Lizzo, Flo, Lil Nas X, and Lana Del Rey.