A Christian environmental campaigner is calling for a ban on the use of disposable vapes. 

Around a million vapes are thrown away every week in the UK, with only around 30 per cent being recycled.

Laura Young, who is also an ambassador for the charity Tearfund, has secured a debate in Westminster today about the issue. She's been telling Premier why she's determined to have them banned:

"I have a dog, so I'm regularly out and about walking. Being an environmentalist, I've always got my eye on litter and seeing if I can grab a few bits just while I'm on my daily walks. I started to come across what looked like highlighter pens and I thought someone's pencil case had burst. But then, after picking up a few, I realised they were flavoured; then, I started investigating and found out they were vapes, and they were disposable. It's one of the things that once you see one, you then see them everywhere, you realise that they are truly something that has rocketed into our sphere."

Vapes are also known as e-cigarettes and are used by many as an alternative to smoking.

A typical disposable vape pen, designed for single-use, contains plastic, copper, rubber and a lithium battery. Some parts, like the battery, can be widely recycled, whereas others, such as any rubber parts, may not be. Incorrect disposal of these items can potentially release plastic and electronic and hazardous chemical waste into the environment. 

Laura Young says that, technically, disposable vapes can be recycled, although there isn't currently an easy way to do this:

"Right now, the advice is to either take them to an actual recycling centre. So we know that even though technically, it's there, it's not something that our recycling centres are set up for. It's not something that can be easily done, which creates this big problem of why is this a product that's being manufactured and produced when it can't be easily recycled? 

"The Westminster debate will hopefully make everybody aware that these are just ridiculous products, and hopefully, we can get a ban. The result will be people can still opt for vaping as a step away from smoking, but just not in this single-use way that is causing a lot of environmental harm."

Research by Material Focus found that 37 per cent of people who bought vapes in the last year bought a single-use vape, and this increases to 52% for 18-34 year olds.