What Information You Need to Know About the Upcoming Ban: Understanding the Legal Requirements for Refillable and Rechargeable Vapes

The Rechargeable Requirement: More Than Just a USB Port

Here's where loads of people are getting confused. Just because a vape has a USB port doesn't automatically make it "rechargeable" under the new regulations. The law is quite specific about what constitutes a rechargeable device.

A vape is not considered rechargeable if it has:

• A battery you cannot recharge
• A coil that you cannot buy separately and that cannot be easily replaced

That second point is crucial and catches out loads of products that look rechargeable but aren't legally compliant. If the coil is permanently fixed inside the device and can't be replaced by an average user, the whole thing becomes single-use once that coil burns out.

The coil is defined as "the part of the vape that's powered by the battery to produce heat, vaporising the e-liquid." With a genuinely reusable vape, you need to be able to either directly remove and replace the coil or remove and replace the pod or cartridge that contains the coil.

The Refillable Requirement: What "Separately Available" Actually Means

The refillable criteria are where things get properly technical. A vape is considered refillable if you can either:

• Fill up the tank or cartridge directly with e-liquid
• Insert new prefilled pods

But here's the kicker - whatever method of refilling the device uses, the refills must be "separately available" for users to buy. The legal definition of "separately available" means "available for purchase by an individual user."

This means if you're selling a prefilled pod system, you must also stock the replacement pods. You can't just sell the device and expect people to find pods elsewhere. The law requires that "refills (pods or vape liquid refill bottles) should be separately available for users to buy" and specifically states you need to "be able to demonstrate that an average user can separately buy individual refill items."

The guidance even suggests that "an easy way of doing this is by providing these items in your shop or online store." So if you're a retailer, you need to stock not just the devices but all the replacement components too.

What Products Will Still Be Legal After June 1st

Now let's get practical about what you can actually sell after the ban kicks in. The good news is that there are loads of options that meet the legal requirements, but you need to understand exactly what makes them compliant.

Refillable Pod Systems

These are devices where you fill the pods yourself with e-liquid. Think systems like the OXVA, Vaporesso, or Uwell pod kits we stock. These are definitely compliant because:

• They have rechargeable batteries (usually USB-C)
• You can refill the pods with any compatible e-liquid
• You can replace the coils when they burn out
• All components (pods, coils, e-liquids) are separately available

Prefilled Pod Systems

This is where it gets interesting. Prefilled pod systems like the IVG 2400 4-in-1 or Lost Mary 30K Nera pod kits are legal if the replacement pods are separately available. The key test is whether an average user can buy new pods when the old ones run out.

The device must have:

• A rechargeable battery
• Replaceable prefilled pods that you can buy separately
• Either replaceable coils or pods that contain the coil

Traditional Tank Systems

Your classic vape tanks with replaceable coils are definitely compliant. These have been the gold standard for years:

• Rechargeable battery (mod)
• Refillable tank
• Separately available coils
• Compatible e-liquids are widely available

What's Definitely Banned: The Obvious and Not-So-Obvious

Some products are obviously single-use under the new regulations:

Single Stick Devices : Any device where the mouthpiece, tank, and battery are fixed together with no way to access the liquid or coil. Even if it has a USB port, it's still banned if you can't replace the coil.

Fixed Coil Devices : Anything that lets you refill and recharge, but where the coil is permanently built into the device. Once that coil burns out, you can't replace it, making the whole device single-use.

Non-Rechargeable Devices : Anything with a battery you can't recharge, regardless of whether you can refill it.

But here's where it gets tricky - some products that look reusable are actually banned:

Devices with Unavailable Components : If you can't separately buy the refill pods, e-liquid, or replacement coils, the device becomes single-use by law. This catches out grey market imports where the pods aren't available in the UK.

User-Unfriendly Designs : If replacing components requires special tools or technical knowledge beyond what an "average user" can manage, it doesn't count as reusable.

The Enforcement Reality: What Happens If You Get It Wrong

The penalties for getting this wrong are no joke, and they vary depending on where you are in the UK. But across all four nations, the consequences are serious enough that you really don't want to chance it.

England

Trading Standards leads enforcement with civil sanctions as the first step:

• Stop notices
• Compliance notices
• £200 fixed penalty notices
• Product seizures

But if you keep breaking the rules, you're looking at unlimited fines, up to 2 years in prison, or both. Plus, cost recovery notices where you pay for Trading Standards' investigation costs.

Scotland

Fixed penalty notices start at £200 (£150 if paid within 14 days), but increase dramatically for repeat offenders - up to £800 for a fourth offence. Criminal prosecution can result in fines up to £5,000 or 2 years' imprisonment.

Wales and Northern Ireland

Both have similar penalty structures, with fixed fines starting at £200, but both can escalate to unlimited fines and up to 2 years imprisonment for serious or repeat offences.

The key thing to understand is that these aren't just theoretical penalties - Trading Standards across the UK are already geared up for enforcement, and they're communicating with each other. Get caught in one area, and other authorities will know about it.

How to Check if Your Products Are Compliant

For nicotine-containing vapes, there's actually a way to check compliance. The MHRA maintains a notified products list where all legal nicotine vapes must be registered. From 1st June, they'll be removing all single-use products from this list.

But here's the important bit - just because something's on the MHRA list doesn't automatically mean it's compliant with the new refillable/rechargeable requirements. You still need to verify that:

• The device is actually rechargeable (not just has a USB port)
• It's actually refillable (not just looks like it might be)
• All components are separately available in the UK

For non-nicotine vapes, there's no central registry, so you need to check compliance manually against the legal definitions.

The "Separately Available" Test: A Practical Guide

This is probably the most important test for retailers. You need to be able to demonstrate that users can buy replacement components. Here's how to check:

For Prefilled Pod Systems:

• Can customers buy replacement pods in your shop or online?
• Are the pods available from multiple suppliers?
• Can an average person easily replace the pods?

For Refillable Systems:

• Do you stock compatible e-liquids?
• Are replacement coils available?
• Can customers easily perform maintenance?

The guidance specifically mentions that enforcement officers will ask you to demonstrate this during inspections. Having the products visibly available in your shop or clearly listed online is the safest approach.

What This Means for Different Types of Businesses

Specialist Vape Shops

You're probably in the best position because you already stock multiple product lines and accessories. Focus on:

• Building comprehensive refillable pod and tank systems ranges
• Ensuring you stock all necessary components (coils, pods, e-liquids)
• Training staff on the legal requirements
• Clear compliance documentation

Convenience Stores and Supermarkets

This is trickier because you might not have space for comprehensive ranges. Consider:

• Focusing on simple prefilled pod systems, where you can stock replacement pods
• Partnering with suppliers who can guarantee component availability
• Clear staff training on what's legal and what isn't
• Robust supplier verification processes

Online Retailers

You need to ensure:

• All components are clearly available on your website
• Product descriptions explicitly state rechargeable/refillable status
• A comprehensive range of compatible accessories
• Clear compliance statements and documentation

The Smart Business Approach: Getting Ahead of the Curve

From a business perspective, smart operators started transitioning months ago. The writing's been on the wall since the ban was announced, and the companies doing well are those that got ahead of the curve.

We've been building our ranges of compliant alternatives for months - proper pod systems from manufacturers like OXVA, Vaporesso, and Dotmod, alongside comprehensive stocks of UK-manufactured e-liquids and replacement components. The customers who've made the switch early are finding they're saving money and getting better performance.

The key is education and support. Loads of disposable users think refillable systems are complicated, but products like the Lost Mary pod kits or Elf Bar prefilled systems are basically identical to disposables in terms of user experience.

The difference is that you charge them instead of throwing them away, and you replace pods instead of buying new devices.