Advertisements for Elf Bar, a vaping company, have been prohibited due to their use of the phrase “recycling for a more environmentally-friendly future.” This raised concerns that the ads were deceptive, considering the harm to the environment caused by discarded vapes.
According to research conducted by Material Focus, the United Kingdom discarded 260 million disposable vapes in 2022, contributing significantly to the increase in plastic pollution in recent times.
The advertisement, which was prohibited by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), conveyed the message that recycling vapes was simple and could be done in one’s own home. However, it is not typically possible to recycle vaping products at home and they must instead be brought to designated facilities, such as waste centers run by local councils.
During the months of July and August, advertisements featuring the Elf Bar 600 V2 vape and promoting recycling for a more environmentally friendly future were displayed on buses and digital billboards in London. Adfree Cities and other parties filed complaints to the regulator regarding these ads.
There is growing worry about the negative impact on health and the environment from the use of disposable vapes.
The Scottish government is currently contemplating the prohibition of disposable products. The UK government is seeking feedback on their regulations regarding smoking and youth vaping, which may include restrictions on advertising vape products at the point of sale and using child-friendly images and colors in marketing.
The ASA directed Elf Bar to guarantee that the advertisements will no longer be shown in the reported formats and that future promotions accurately represent the environmental impact and benefits of their products.
According to James Ward, an advocate for Adfree Cities, there should be a complete prohibition on advertising nicotine vapes. He stated, “Similar to how cigarettes harm the health of smokers, the growing trend of disposable vapes has also left a damaging impact on our environment through plastic and harmful battery metals.”
“Promotion of vapes containing nicotine is not allowed on television, radio, print, or the internet. However, it is allowed in outdoor advertising, which reveals a significant loophole in the legislation and emphasizes how outdoor advertising often enables harmful companies to have a platform.”
Therefore, we are advocating for a comprehensive prohibition on vape advertisements, which will effectively eliminate the current loophole.
The ASA released a decision on Wednesday, stating that numerous complaints were upheld. The advertisement was determined to have violated eight codes related to deceptive advertising, disclaimers, environmental claims, and proof. Additionally, the ad falsely emphasized an environmental advantage of providing recycling options, which was actually a legal requirement for other similar products as well.
The ASA stated that Elf Bar’s goal with their advertisements was to inform and motivate consumers to recycle. They also noted that the company plans to implement initiatives to make recycling easier for consumers.
We determined that the advertisements for Elf Bar’s single-use vapes were deceptive because they implied that consumers could recycle them through various methods, including at home, which was not actually possible.
Elf Bar acknowledged the ruling made by ASA and stated that they have implemented measures to enforce more strict self-regulation in their advertising and marketing practices.
A representative stated: “We are saddened by any misunderstandings that may have arisen from this advertisement. Additionally, we apologize for any diversion it may have caused from the advancement of our GreenAwareness recycling initiative. As part of our continuous efforts, we have simplified the process of collecting and disassembling our product for recycling and have a goal of creating a closed-loop system by 2025. We are dedicated to implementing these actions and following the regulations outlined by the ASA.”
Source: theguardian.com
