A summer of heatwaves producing tinderbox conditions led to a temporary ban on disposable BBQs. Now a petition with over 20,000 signatures has prompted the government to consider making that permanent.
Many forecourt operators, including Goran Raven and David Charman, declared over the summer that they would not restock the products as a social responsibility to reduce the risk of fires. Meanwhile,Top 50 Indie MFG encouraged retailers to follow its example by removing the products from their shelves.
That was before the government issued a short-term ban in mid-August to reduce the risk of wildfires. That restriction, which applied across the UK with the exception of Northern Ireland, ended on October 22. Now ministers have informed commercial waste management specialist Business Waste, which organised the petition, that they will look into stronger action.
In its response to the petition, the government says it will ”consider the case for further restrictions, including a permanent ban, on the sale of disposable barbecues in the light of experience gained from the temporary ban introduced on August 14”.
Business Waste says that, as well as posing a risk of fire, the products are “extremely difficult to recycle”.
Mark Hall, waste specialist at the organisation, says the petition shows the extent of support for a long-term ban.
“It’s great to see that the government’s response means there is potential for an outright ban, and we believe this is the most effective option,” he says.
“As human activity causes roughly 85% to 90% of wildfires globally, the fire risk associated with disposable barbecues should not be ignored. Not only this, but hundreds of thousands of disposable BBQs likely end up in landfill every year, a further environmental issue which highlights how problematic these products are.”
