Disposable vapes have been banned at Glastonbury

Jan 31, 2024

Glastonbury organisers have told attendees not to bring disposable vapes to the festival this year. The cheap and colourful devices, such as Elf Bars, Crystal Bars and Lost Marys, have been added to the list of ‘what not to bring’ on the official Glasto website.

Among the list of typically banned items, such as knives and glass, the new addition reads: "Do not bring disposable vapes. They pollute the environment and can be hazardous at waste centres".

It's a shift in policy for Glastonbury, where disposable vapes could be purchased on-site last year, and they’re unlikely to be the only festival which asks its guests not to bring vape bars along this summer.

Alongside the wider environmental issues around the devices, the lithium batteries inside discarded vapes will be of particular concern to festival organisers across the country. They’ll present a hazard at all stages of the waste disposal process, especially when present in large quantities, and could also puncture or explode if a bin catches fire. With many festivals set on working farmland, any vapes left in the fields and missed during clean-up operations could later prove fatal to livestock.

We don't know how Glastonbury intend to enforce the request for guests not to bring vape bars, but we think it's unlikely anyone using one inside the festival will be challenged. We don't know if they’ll be confiscated on entry although we expect searches will be focused on drugs, glass and weapons – although gazebos are regularly taken off people both entering the festival and when found to be set up in the campsites.

Like many other festivals, when Glasto banned plastic bottles a few years ago, the ban was only enforced on traders, bars and any other outlet selling drinks at the event. While attendees were requested not to bring single-use plastic, particularly in large quantities, it was clarified nobody will be prevented from bringing plastic in. With a much stricter ban on glass in place for safety reasons many guests will transfer spirits and wine into reused plastic bottles before travelling to a festival.

A similar situation exists with glitter, which is typically single-use plastic and was banned by dozens of festivals back in 2017. Some have now also asked people not to bring biodegradable glitter with doubts around just how environmentally friendly many products are. But despite this, we’ve never heard of it being confiscated at the gates.

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Many are now switching from disposable vapes to ‘pod-type’ refillable vapes such as the Xros 3 and Xros 3 Mini. These have a massively reduced impact on the environment and your bank balance when compared to disposables. These new-generation vapes offer a much better experience than old-school vapes with no leaks or messing with coils. Each pod costs around £2.50 and will usually last for at least 3500 puffs before they need replacing.

When paired with the right eliquid, such as Elfbar's official Elfliq range, they’ll provide the same intense flavours you’re used to in disposables. Stick with the included 1.0ohm pods for a similar amount of vapour to disposables or try the 0.6ohm pods for increased flavour and vapour production. Additionally, the eliquid is available in 10mg or 20mg strength, so if you like disposables but would prefer they weren't quite so strong, switching to a pod-based vape and ELFLIQ eliquid could be a great option.

Glastonbury 2023 will take place from Wednesday 21st June until Sunday 25th June at Worthy Farm, Pilton. Tickets are completely sold out. Most acts from the five biggest stages will be streamed live on BBC iPlayer.

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