Business
Vape ban isn’t working, says waste firm boss
Ben KingBusiness reporter
BiffaThe ban on disposable vapes is failing to stop millions being thrown away incorrectly, and the devices are still causing chaos for the waste industry, a boss at a leading firm has said.
“We’re seeing more vapes in our system, causing more problems, more fires than ever before,” said Roger Wright, the strategy and packaging manager at Biffa.
Vape firms have launched cheap reusable devices, so instead of refilling and recycling them, people were binning them and buying more, he said.
A spokesperson for the vape industry said the June ban had been a success, and any rise in devices being thrown away was likely due to black market trade.
In April and May, the last two months before the ban, Biffa’s recycling facilities in Suffolk, Teesside and London saw around 200,000 vapes on average incorrectly mixed in with general recycling.
For the three months since the ban in June, the average figure has been 3% higher.
Biffa handles almost a fifth of the UK’s waste, and Mr Wright reckons the rest of the industry will be seeing a similar picture, suggesting around a million vapes a month going into general recycling.
This may partly be because large stocks of disposables were sold off cheap before the ban came into force.
But the vape industry’s response to the ban has also contributed, says Mr Wright.
Big vape firms launched a range of reusable models that are very similar to the most popular disposable vapes and sold at similar prices.
By adding a replaceable nicotine pod and a USB recharging port, they can be sold as reusable, but Mr Wright suspects many are still being thrown away.
“We still see a lot of these reusables in the bins, because people have used them as a disposable item,” he says.
The ban has also led to a big increase in the number of different kinds of vapes on the market, as firms launched dozens of new products to try to get round the ban.
“The innovation’s gone crazy to try and get around the ban. Ironically it makes our job of recycling them – if we collect them – much harder,” said Mr Wright.
But Marcus Saxton, chairman of the Independent British Vape Trade Association, argued that the ban has been a success.
“We can see through the data consumers are refilling and recharging devices,” he said.
“So actually, if Biffa’s findings are true, this is about disposable products washing through the system, either through illegal traders or through the illegal black market.”
BiffaVapes contain lithium batteries, which can catch fire when crushed. This often happens in bin lorries or recycling centres – one of the reasons they were banned in June.
They are called “bombs in bins” because of the fires they cause. Vapes should be returned to stores or recycling centres for specialist handling, not added to general recycling or general waste.
In June alone, Biffa had to deal with 60 fires caused by vapes and other small electrical items. Once the fire has occurred, it’s hard to pinpoint the exact cause.
Biffa said dealing with this problem costs the UK waste industry a billion pounds a year.
The ban on disposable vapes was partly designed to curb the many millions of devices that were incorrectly thrown away.
Vapes mixed in with general waste, which is often ultimately incinerated, cause less serious problems than those in general recycling.
Mr Wright said collecting vapes and electrical devices directly from people’s homes alongside general waste and recycling would be part of the solution.
“I think that would massively improve the collection rates,” he said. “You’re more likely to put it out on the kerbside than you are to bother to go down to your corner shop and give it back.” Some councils already do this.
A government spokesperson said: “Single-use vapes get kids hooked on nicotine and blight our high streets – it’s why we’ve taken tough action and banned them.”
It said it has made in compulsory for retailers to provide recycling bins, and its circular economy strategy due later this year aims to increase the reuse and recycling of electrical equipment.
NEW DELHI: With the big Gulf carriers operating a fraction of their schedules, foreign airlines are expanding their India flights to meet the increased demand for options to the likes of Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad. SWISS will operate a second daily light between between Delhi and Zurich from April 1 to May 31, 2026. British Airways will have a third daily service from Delhi starting April 7, followed by a third daily service from Mumbai from May 15. Air India has been adding flights to the west whenever possible during the Iran war.In a statement Thursday, Lufthansa group carrier SWISS said it is increasing its flight offering between Switzerland and India. “From April 1 to May 31, 2026, in addition to its regular service from Zurich to Delhi, SWISS will operate a second daily connection using an Airbus A330. Numerous passengers of other airlines are currently unable to take their originally booked flights via the Gulf region. As a result, many are switching to direct connections to and from Asia. SWISS is seeing a corresponding rise in demand for such nonstop services. We are pleased to offer our customers this additional flight to Delhi over the next two months. The flights are available for booking with immediate effect,” SWISS said in a statement.“Depending on further developments in the Middle East, SWISS continuously assesses how aircraft and capacities that become available can be deployed where demand is particularly strong. In addition to demand, key factors include operational constraints such as available airport slots, traffic rights and fleet deployment capabilities,” SWISS statement added.British Airways also announced additional flights from Delhi and Mumbai “to meet strong travel demand”. “In response to the ongoing situation in the Middle East, the airline is adding short-term capacity from Delhi and Mumbai to meet customer demand. A third daily service from Delhi will launch on April 7, followed by a third daily service from Mumbai from May 15. With this additional capacity, British Airways will operate up to 63 weekly flights with more than 1,000 additional seats per week between India and the UK, offering more options for customers travelling to the UK or connecting onwards across the airline’s global network,” BA said in a statement.Neil Chernoff, British Airways’ chief planning and strategy officer, said: “As we continue to respond to the evolving situation in the Middle East, we’ve been able to reallocate additional capacity to meet strong demand to other destinations across our route network. India remains one of our most important global markets, and these additional services from Delhi and Mumbai respond to customer demand and provide greater choice and flexibility for our customers when travelling to the UK and beyond. We will continue to review our network and make adjustments based on where our customers want to fly this summer.”
Two major CEOs told CNBC in recent months that the rise of artificial intelligence contributed to their decisions to hand over the reins and step down from their positions.
It’s one of the latest insights into how America’s corporate leaders are sizing up the AI transition.
Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Thursday that his decision to step down from his role was influenced by larger “waves of the organizational momentum.”
“My job is also to think who’s the best team to put on the field to get the next wave done,” Quincey said. “And I concluded that, actually, it was time to put someone else on the field for the next wave of growth.”
Quincey, who has served as CEO of the beverage giant since 2017, will be succeeded by current COO Henrique Braun, effective at the end of this month.
“In a pre-AI, a pre-gen-AI mode, we made a lot of progress. But now there’s a huge new shift coming along,” Quincey said.
While he said he’s leaning into the technological advances, he believes the beverage company needs “someone with the energy to pursue a completely new transformation of the enterprise.”
That person, Quincey said, is Braun, who he believes will uniquely equip the company to embrace its next chapter.
Quincey’s comments echo sentiments from former Walmart CEO Douglas McMillon in December ahead of his departure from that role.
McMillon, who had held the position as CEO of the global retailer since 2014, told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” at the time that he had decided to hand over the role to someone “faster.” John Furner, who was previously head of Walmart U.S., took over the top job on Feb. 1.
“With what’s happening with AI, I could start this next big set of transformations with AI, but I couldn’t finish,” McMillon told CNBC.
“About a year ago, I really started feeling like this next run, you could see what agentic commerce was gonna look like, the vision for AI shopping, and I started thinking about everything that needs to happen over the next few years, and it really caused me to think that now was the right time [to step down],” he said.
Walmart in December made the move to list on the Nasdaq, something McMillon said was symbolic of the progress the company has made with technology.
The retailer has been incorporating AI to optimize its supply chain, provide assistants for customers and more.
“I think what you’re going to see from the Walmart team is they’re just going to keep scaling what we’ve already started, build some new stuff on top, and then use AI to transform it all,” he said.
Business
India’s voluntary carbon market gains ground as net-zero goals drive ecosystem buildup – The Times of India
NEW DELHI: With Climate action gaining momentum as part of India’s net-zero commitment by 2070, the country’s carbon market is beginning to take shape and gain momentum. Homegrown institutions such as the Carbon Registry of India (CRI) are emerging as important enablers for the voluntary carbon market offering platforms to register and track carbon projects, even as corporates and developers scale up efforts around offsets, credits, and trading in line with evolving global frameworks. While the regulatory framework is still in the development stage across many industries, India is leading the development of platforms for listing of voluntary carbon projects in South Asia, creating implementation partners, enabling trading of credits and audit process — all to to align the processes with international standards having an end-to-end setup. “The carbon market today is split into two clear paths,” says Priya Bahirwani, co-founder of Terrablu Climate Technologies, a carbon project developer with proprietary carbon accounting, offsetting and trading platform. “The compliance market is regulation-led and has different levers and framework within which it operates. But the voluntary carbon market is where intent shows up, where companies invest for credibility, brand and long-term responsibility.” It is this voluntary market that is now steering the path and driving the momentum in India for a climate-driven economy. This market is driven by corporates looking to go beyond compliance and are committed to demonstrating real climate impact and social impact – Indian Carbon for Global Markets. CRI (a public-private registry) and other such reputed organisations are building the ecosystem in a sustainable manner. Especially companies like Varaha, Terrablu, NextNow Green (NNG), and other entities are slowly but steadily building the momentum for a climate resilient economy in India. From large conglomerates to mid-sized firms, companies are increasingly investing in carbon credits not just to meet regulatory norms, but to build long-term brand credibility and stakeholder trust. The is the just the beginning of new wave of building a climate resilient economy. CRI helps companies register and formalise their carbon projects in a standardised format. For India, this shift represents a strategic move — from being a supply-side participant to shaping the rules of the market itself. “Carbon markets will only scale on the foundation of trust, transparency, and traceability. With its depth in innovation and resilience, India is well placed to lead this evolution.,” says Richard Bright, CEO of CRI. CRI, he adds, is focused on building a credible domestic bridge between Indian climate projects and global demand, while leveraging digital frameworks to improve transparency, traceability and access. Companies listed on the CRI for carbon projects include Sahyadri Farms, Piplantri FPO, L&T Metro and others are in the pipeline, says Bright. Terrablu’s Bahirwani says India should not just generate carbon credits, but also own the platforms that certify them. “CRI is creating that opportunity, and we are already seeing increasing interest from corporates in sourcing credits listed on such platforms.” Companies such as NNG, which is a carbon consultancy and ecosystem implementation partner, believes that as India moves from a voluntary to a rules- and penalties-based setup in carbon, companies will increasingly work on carbon and climate strategies to strengthen their play in the area. “We are already seeing efforts in this regard. There are enquiries about how to go about carbon projects, how to carry out assessment and audit of current work, and how to work out credits and even offset them, or trade them, across diverse sectors including agriculture and industrial decarbonisation,” says NNG’s Archana Raha. This push is also being reinforced by ecosystem players such as legal frameworks to project developers. They see value in strengthening India’s own carbon market architecture. “Global registries will continue to play a role, but India needs trusted domestic platforms as well,” says Vishnu Sudarsan, senior partner at law firm JSA. “Platforms like CRI provide visibility and credibility within the Indian ecosystem, which is critical as the market matures, supported by robust, dual-layer governance structures that reinforce transparency and accountability,” Sudarsan adds. On the ground, this shift is already taking shape through projects that are choosing to align with India’s emerging carbon infrastructure. Take Piplantri as an example. It is a model that goes beyond carbon to integrate afforestation, water conservation and community livelihoods. By listing on CRI, stakeholders are signalling a clear intent to prioritise transparency, traceability and alignment with India’s evolving climate ecosystem. The market is gradually maturing as reputed and credible market players with sophistication and focus are shaping the ecosystem . The decision reflects a broader trend. Project developers and intermediaries are increasingly working with platforms like CRI and CCTS, supported by ecosystem players such as Terrablu and implementation partners like NNG. Alongside them, credible validation and verification bodies — including KBS certification, 4K Earth Science, VKU Certification and others — are empanelled with CRI, strengthening the integrity and credibility of the overall ecosystem, and helping create a more locally anchored yet globally credible carbon market framework. Experts say that India’s emerging carbon ecosystem is beginning to offer answers through creation of stronger platforms, better verification, and tighter integration across the value chain. “The direction is clear: India is not just participating in the global carbon market but it is leading the market for other emerging economies,” says Sudarsan. It is believed that with the foundation for the climate economy coming in place, India is well poised to become a hub for high-integrity carbon solutions.
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