Ecigone

Is Lost Mary Leading the Charge Toward Eco-Friendly Vaping in 2025?

By shane margereson

Introduction: The Environmental Imperative in Vaping

I've been running ecigone.co.uk since 2014, and I've got to say, I've never seen anything like the environmental mess these disposable vapes have created. When I started out, we were all using those bulky box mods and refilling tanks.

It was a bit of a faff compared to what we've got now, but at least we weren't chucking lithium batteries in the bin every couple of days. These disposables have been a proper nightmare from an environmental standpoint, though they've helped loads of smokers make the switch, which I can't knock.

I remember when the first colourful disposables started appearing on our website around 2020. They sold like hotcakes. Dead easy to use, no maintenance, decent flavours, but it wasn't long before I started seeing news reports about them littering streets everywhere.

Little blue, pink, and yellow sticks just chucked on the ground. One of my regular customers who works for the council told me they were finding hundreds of them when cleaning the town centre every weekend morning. It properly opened my eyes to the scale of the problem.

The government's finally stepped in, and thank goodness for that. According to Defra's own blog, "almost five million single-use vapes were either littered or thrown away in general waste every week in the UK. That's the equivalent of eight being thrown away per second." Figures suggest it's now over 8 million weekly!

When you think about the resources in those, the lithium, the plastics, the copper, it's madness to be using them once and binning them. As Defra puts it, "This is extremely wasteful of the valuable resources contained in these vapes, such as cobalt and copper.

In 2022, the same group found that more than 40 tonnes of lithium were discarded in single-use vapes. This is the same amount used to power 5,000 electric vehicles."

Like many online vape store owners, I've been caught between a rock and a hard place. Disposables have been making up about 60% of my sales for the last couple of years, but I've hated the environmental impact.

So I've been proper chuffed to see Lost Mary, who've made their name on disposables, taking steps to address the problem before the ban kicks in next June. They've been ahead of the game compared to most other brands, and I've been watching their eco-friendly moves with interest.

My dessert-flavour-loving self (never been one for the fruity stuff) has been especially impressed with how they've managed to maintain their signature flavour profiles while moving to more sustainable options.

The Environmental Impact of Disposable Vapes

I don't think most of my customers realise just how bad these disposables are for the environment. When I tell them the stats, they're usually proper shocked. According to the government's own figures from May this year, "almost five million single-use vapes were either littered or thrown away in general waste every week in the UK." That number seems to keep climbing too. Some reports are now saying it's over 8 million weekly. Think about that for a second - that's more than one disposable vape for every person in the UK being thrown away each week!

I had this young lad email me last month who'd been using about three Elf Bars a week since he was 18 (he's now 20). When I totted it up for him, that's roughly 300 devices he's personally sent to landfill. And he's just one customer! Multiply that by the millions of vapers across the country and you can see why we've got such a massive problem.

The worst bit is what's inside these little sticks. Every single one has a lithium-ion battery, which is exactly the sort of thing you're not supposed to chuck in general waste. The National Fire Cheifs Council points out that " In 2023, there were over 1,200 battery fires in bin lorries and waste sites across the UK - a 70% increase on the year before. "

I had a customer who works for the local waste management company, and he told me they have to stop the conveyor belts multiple times a day because they spot disposable vapes that could cause fires. It's not just an environmental problem - it's a safety issue too.

Then there's the plastic. The government blog says it perfectly : " Say one 'disposable' vape promises about 600 puffs - its plastic casing will easily last for 600 years buried in the earth ."

That's mental when you think about it - something you use for a few days will be sitting in the ground for centuries. I've started including information about this environmental impact in our newsletters, and some customers have definitely been swayed to try refillable options.

The resources that go into making these things are worth thinking about, too. The copper, lithium, and aluminium in each device might seem small, but when you multiply it by millions, it adds up to tons of valuable materials being chucked away.

According to Material Focus , quoted in the government blog, " more than 40 tonnes of lithium were discarded in single-use vapes " in a single year. Those's resources we could be using for electric car batteries or other important tech.

I've tried to encourage proper recycling through our online store, but the truth is, even when disposables are collected for recycling, they're a nightmare to process. They have to be dismantled by hand in most cases because they weren't designed to be taken apart. That makes recycling slow, expensive, and sometimes dangerous because of the batteries. It's a proper mess all around.

Lost Mary's Sustainable Innovations

Transition to Rechargeable Devices

I've got to hand it to Lost Mary - they saw the writing on the wall before many other brands and started developing alternatives to their popular disposables well ahead of the ban. I remember when the BM6000 rechargeable pod system first appeared on our website last year. I was a bit sceptical at first - would it really give the same experience as their disposables? But they've done a dead good job with it.

The BM6000 is basically the rechargeable version of their popular disposable, but with some clever tweaks that make it much better for the environment. Instead of binning the whole device when you're done, you keep the battery unit and just replace the pod. That's a massive reduction in waste right there. One of my regulars was ordering two Lost Mary disposables a week from us. That's about 100 devices a year going to landfill. Since switching to the BM6000 six months ago, he's only needed to dispose of the small pods, keeping the main device in use. That's a massive win for the environment.

The pods for the BM6000 are dead clever too. They come with a 2ml prefilled pod (to keep it TPD compliant) plus a 10ml refill container that automatically tops up the pod as you vape. It's a brilliant workaround for the 2ml tank limit while still being fully compliant with regulations. My customers love that they can get up to 6000 puffs before needing a replacement, which is the equivalent of about 10 regular disposables.

Then there's the new Nera 30K, which is Lost Mary's premium offering. I got to try it at a trade show last month, and it's proper impressive. It's got this fancy curved display screen that shows you battery level, puff count, and other info, and it feels much more substantial than a disposable. The big selling point is that it delivers up to 30,000 puffs through its clever refill system - that's the equivalent of about 50 disposables! One device replacing fifty is the kind of dramatic waste reduction we need to see more of in the industry.

What I particularly like about Lost Mary's approach is that they've maintained the simplicity that made disposables so popular. There's no complicated coil changing or messy refilling - you just swap out the pod when it's empty. That's been key to convincing my disposable-loving customers to make the switch. When I explain in our product descriptions and email newsletters how easy it is, most of them are happy to give it a go, especially when I explain they'll save a fair bit of cash in the long run too.

Eco-Friendly Materials and Packaging

It's not just the rechargeable devices themselves that show Lost Mary is taking sustainability seriously. They've been making changes to their packaging and materials too. I noticed the difference when we got our first shipment of the BM6000 pods. Instead of the plastic clamshell packaging that's so common in vaping, they were using mostly cardboard packaging that's much easier to recycle. It's a small detail, but it shows they're thinking about the entire lifecycle of their products, not just the devices themselves.

One of my customers who's properly into environmental stuff emailed me to point out that Lost Mary's newer packaging uses soy-based inks rather than petroleum-based ones. I hadn't even noticed that, but it's another sign they're taking steps in the right direction. The instruction manuals are printed on recycled paper too, which is something more brands should be doing.

When it comes to the devices themselves, the materials have been chosen with recycling in mind. The Lost Mary BM6000 has a detachable battery that can be properly recycled at the end of its life, unlike disposables, where everything is fused together. That's crucial because it's the mixing of materials that makes recycling so difficult. If components can be easily separated, they're much more likely to actually get recycled rather than ending up in landfill.

I had a video call with our Lost Mary rep last month, and he mentioned they're looking at using more recycled plastics in their future devices. They're not quite there yet, but the fact they're actively working on it is promising. He also said they're researching biodegradable options for some components, though that's still in the early stages.

What's clear is that they've put some proper thought into how their products fit into a circular economy, where materials are kept in use for as long as possible. It's a far cry from the "use once and bin" approach that's dominated the disposable market. As someone who's been in this industry for over a decade, it's refreshing to see a major player like Lost Mary taking these issues seriously rather than just doing the bare minimum to comply with regulations.

Lost Mary BM6000 Vape Kit 2025 TPD Version - Watermelon Ice Flavour
Lost Mary Nera 30K Blue Edition refillable vape with fullview display and Blueberry Raspberry Gami pods
Lost Mary 4-in-1 Pre-Filled Pod Vape Kit Cola Flavour

Matching Regulatory Changes

The UK government has been pretty clear about why they're banning disposables next June. According to their official guidance , " Single-use vapes (also known as disposable vapes) are an inefficient use of critical resources and are often discarded as litter or thrown into residual (non-recycled) waste. Littering spoils our communities, introduces harmful substances into the soil, rivers and streams, and causes harm to biodiversity ." Hard to argue with that when you see these colourful little sticks littering our streets and parks.

From June 1st 2025, it'll be "il legal for businesses to sell or supply, offer to sell or supply, or have in their possession for sale or supply all single-use or 'disposable' vapes. " The ban applies to both online and in-shop sales, and covers all vapes " whether or not they contain nicotine. " This is a proper comprehensive ban - there's no wiggle room or loopholes that I can see.

The government's definition of what makes a vape reusable is clear too: it must be both "rechargeable" and "refillable." If it's only one of those things, it's still considered single-use and will be banned. That means a device with a rechargeable battery but a sealed pod system that can't be refilled would still be banned. Similarly, something that can be refilled but has a non-rechargeable battery would also be banned.

Lost Mary seems to have understood these requirements perfectly and designed their new products accordingly. The BM6000 Kit and Nera 30K are both rechargeable AND refillable, ticking both boxes needed to be compliant after the ban. That shows they've been paying attention to the regulatory details rather than trying to find workarounds or loopholes.

What's impressive is that Lost Mary started developing these alternatives well before the ban was officially announced. They could see which way the wind was blowing and got ahead of it, which has given them a big advantage. Some other brands are only just starting to develop compliant alternatives, which means they'll be playing catch-up when the ban hits.

The government's also been clear about the penalties for breaking the ban. In England, Trading Standards will be able to issue civil sanctions like stop notices, compliance notices, and fines of £200. But for serious or repeated violations, businesses could face "an unlimited fine, a prison sentence of up to 2 years, or both." That's not something to mess about with. I've already started phasing out disposables from our online store to make sure we're well prepared when the ban comes into force.

Lost Mary's strategy of developing compliant products early and educating customers about the transition shows they're taking these regulations seriously. They're not trying to fight the ban or delay it - they're embracing the change and positioning themselves as leaders in the post-ban market. That's a smart business move, but it's also the right thing to do from an environmental perspective.

Consumer Benefits of Eco-Friendly Vaping

I've been chatting to loads of my customers through email and social media about making the switch from disposables to rechargeable systems, and the feedback has been proper interesting. Most of them are initially resistant - they like the convenience of disposables and don't want to faff about with anything more complicated. But when I explain the benefits of systems like the Lost Mary BM6000 or Nera 30K, many of them start to come round.

The cost savings are usually what convinces them in the end. I had one customer who was ordering about three Lost Mary disposables a week at £6 each. That's £18 a week, or roughly £936 a year just on vaping! When I showed her that the BM6000 starter kit was £10, and then the BM6000 Prefilled replacement pods worked out at about £7 for the equivalent of 2-3 disposables' worth of puffs, she did the maths and realised she could save over £600 a year. That's a really significant saving.

The environmental aspect matters to more customers than you might expect, too. I've found that about half my customers genuinely care about reducing waste once I explain the scale of the problem. When I tell them that switching to a rechargeable system could keep dozens or even hundreds of devices out of landfills over the course of a year, that interests them. Not everyone is motivated by environmental concerns, but enough are that it's worth highlighting the eco-friendly aspects of these new products.

There are some practical benefits that customers discover after making the switch too. The battery life on rechargeable systems is generally much better than disposables. I can't tell you how many emails I've received from customers complaining about buying a disposable only to have it die when they're out for the night or away for the weekend. With something like the Nera 30K, you just plug it in to charge before you go out, and you know you're sorted for the day.

The consistency of performance is another big plus. Disposables often start to weaken as the battery depletes, giving an inconsistent experience. The rechargeable systems maintain a steady power output right up until they need recharging, which means a more satisfying vape throughout.

Another customer emailed me last week saying that since switching to the BM6000, he's not had a single weak or burnt hit - something that was a regular occurrence with his disposables.

The flavour experience is spot on, too. Lost Mary has made sure their pod systems use the same e-liquids as their popular disposables, so you're not sacrificing taste when you make the switch.

I'm a dessert flavour man myself. Never been one for the fruity stuff. Their custard & bakery flavours in the BM6000 pods are just as good as in the disposables. For customers who are hesitant about switching, knowing they can get the same flavour experience is often the reassurance they need.

When I'm explaining the benefits of Lost Mary's sustainable options to my customers on our website and in our newsletters, I put it all together like this:

  • You'll save a load of money - The upfront cost is higher, but you'll spend less over time
  • The battery won't die on you - Rechargeable means no more dead vapes when you're out and about
  • You'll get the same great flavours - All your favourite Lost Mary flavours are available in pod form
  • Every pod you use keeps a whole device out of landfill - Small change, big impact
  • You're future-proofed against the ban - No need to stockpile or scramble for alternatives next June
  • The performance is more consistent - No more weak hits as the battery depletes
  • It's dead easy to use - Just charge and replace pods, no complicated maintenance

When presented like that, most customers can see that making the switch is a no-brainer. It's better for their wallet, better for their vaping experience, and better for the planet. Triple win!

Lost Mary's Role in Shaping a Greener Vaping Industry

What's been most impressive about Lost Mary's move toward sustainability is that they didn't have to do it, at least not yet. They could have kept pushing disposables until the very last minute before the ban kicks in. They were making an absolute killing with their disposable range, so pivoting to sustainable alternatives before they absolutely had to shows some genuine commitment to reducing their environmental impact.

I've been in this game since 2014, and I've seen brands come and go, technologies evolve, and trends rise and fall. But this shift toward sustainability feels different. It's not just a passing fad but a fundamental change in how the industry operates.

Lost Mary seems to understand this better than most of their competitors. They're not just complying with upcoming regulations; they're actively trying to shape what the future of vaping looks like.

The influence they have on the wider industry shouldn't be underestimated either. They're one of the biggest names in vaping right now, especially in the UK, so when they make a move toward sustainability, other brands take notice. I've already seen smaller companies following their lead with similar rechargeable pod systems. That ripple effect through the industry could accelerate the transition away from disposables even before the ban comes into force.

I've been chatting to some of my suppliers about this, and they reckon Lost Mary's strategy is partly about securing their position in the market long-term. The disposable boom was always going to be temporary, either because of regulatory changes or environmental concerns, so by pivoting early, they're establishing themselves as leaders in the next phase of vaping technology. It's clever business, but it also happens to be better for the planet, so I'm all for it.

What excites me most is thinking about where this could lead. If Lost Mary continues down this path of innovation, we might see even more sophisticated recycling programs or closed-loop systems where components are returned to the manufacturer for refurbishment. They've got the scale and resources to pioneer these kinds of initiatives in a way smaller companies can't.

The vaping industry has always had a bit of an image problem - sometimes deservedly so, especially with the youth vaping issues and now the environmental impact of disposables. But if major players like Lost Mary can show that vaping can be sustainable and responsible, it helps change the narrative. Vaping has helped millions of people quit smoking, which is a massive public health win. If we can sort out the environmental side too, then we can finally say that vaping is an unequivocal force for good.

I've been encouraging all my customers to consider rechargeable options for years, but having high-quality, easy-to-use alternatives from a trusted brand like Lost Mary makes that conversation so much easier. When someone comes to our website looking for their usual Lost Mary disposable, I can highlight the BM6000 or Nera 30K and explain all the benefits without feeling like I'm pushing them toward an inferior product. That's a game-changer for online stores like mine that want to do the right thing environmentally without alienating our customers.

Conclusion: Embracing Sustainable Vaping with Lost Mary

When I launched my online vape store back in 2014, the landscape was totally different. We were selling clunky box mods with rebuildable atomisers to hobbyists and early adopters. The idea that sleek, pre-filled devices would dominate the market was hard to imagine. The rise of disposables has been a double-edged sword. They've brought millions of smokers into vaping who might otherwise have been put off by the complexity, but they've created an environmental nightmare in the process.

Lost Mary's pivot toward sustainable alternatives feels like the industry coming full circle in some ways. We're returning to the reusable, rechargeable ethos of those early days, but with the simplicity and convenience that modern vapers expect. Their BM6000 and Nera 30K systems represent the best of both worlds - easy to use like disposables, but designed with sustainability in mind.

For my customers who are still on the fence about making the switch, I always emphasise that these aren't your typical complicated vape devices. There's no need to understand Ohm's law or fiddle with coil building. You don't even have to deal with messy e-liquid bottles if you don't want to. Just charge the device and replace the pod when needed - it's that simple. And you get to enjoy the same great Lost Mary flavours you've come to love, whether you're into fruit, menthol, or desserts (the latter being my personal preference).

The environmental benefits are the icing on the cake. As the government's own blog points out , " Taking these products off the shelves by banning their sale and supply will help to tackle these problems. It will prevent them from being thrown into bins with general waste, and littering of reusable alternatives will be reduced. " But Lost Mary isn't just waiting for the ban… they're actively part of the solution already.

I'm planning to phase out disposables entirely from our online store well before the June 2025 deadline. I want to be part of the solution rather than clinging to environmentally damaging products until the last possible moment. Having quality alternatives like Lost Mary's rechargeable range makes that transition much easier for both my business and my customers.

So, is Lost Mary leading the charge toward eco-friendly vaping? From where I'm sitting, managing my online vape store, the answer is a resounding yes. They've recognised which way the wind is blowing and adapted faster and more comprehensively than most of their competitors. Their new products maintain everything people love about their brand while dramatically reducing environmental impact. That's a proper achievement and one that deserves recognition.

If you're still using disposables, I'd encourage you to give something like the BM6000 or Nera 30K a try. You'll save money, get a more consistent vaping experience, and do your bit for the planet. It's a win all round. And if you're not sure which option would suit you best, drop us an email or use the live chat on our website. We've been helping people make the switch from smoking to vaping for years - now we're here to help you make the switch from disposables to sustainable alternatives, too. The future of vaping is green, and with brands like Lost Mary leading the way, that future is already here.

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