The Government is aiming to completely ban disposable vapes.
Single-use vapes are increasingly popular among young people, and contain electronics which are usually thrown away.
The move is part of a wider strategy on reusing materials in the circular economy.
Minister of State Ossian Smyth told Joe Lynam on Newstalk Breakfast: "I've no problem with vaping... but what's emerged in the last year is this idea of a single-use vape.
"You buy this thing, it's got everything in it - the battery, the vape liquid, it's a plastic tube - and when you're finished, typically people are often throwing them on the ground," he said.
"I think this is a product that actually just needs to be banned completely."
'Valuable materials'
He said there will be a public consultation first.
"I've been working with my officials on that; I will do a public consultation on it first,” he said.
"I think this is an example of an innovation that is really making the world a worse place.
"The idea that you would buy a product that's very attractive to children, tastes like bubblegum, you smoke on it for maybe 50 drags and then it just gets thrown on the ground.
"It contains valuable materials: lithium-ion battery, electronics, copper, plastic".
He also announced that businesses will soon have to start recycling their waste in the same way as households.
"From the start of next year, all businesses in Ireland are going to have to segregate their waste just as a household does," he said.
"What we found, when we did our research, was that 70% of the waste that's in a commercial black bin... should have gone into either recycling or into organic composting."
Minister Smyth said local county councils will be responsible for policing this.
