The Government has confirmed it will now consider a full ban on disposable barbecues in response to a petition it was given created by waste company businesswaste.co.uk.
Earlier this year, pressure mounted to remove disposable items from sale, as the UK experienced record-breaking heatwaves and multiple wildfires spread across the country.
In response, BusinessWaste.co.uk created a petition calling for an outright ban on the product which drew over 20,000 signatures.
As discussion continued in the press and amongst the public, the Government issued a temporary ban on disposable barbecues and sent an emergency alert warning of the dangers in August.
Government response
The Government has now responded to the petition, clarifying its position. It said: “The Government takes public safety very seriously and is aware of incidents involving disposable barbeques and the wider consequences such as wildfires, especially during the hot and dry spells during the summer.
“The Government exercised its powers under the General Product Safety Regulations to issue statutory guidelines which stopped the sale of disposable barbecues at present to help reduce the risk of wildfires. Once the risk of fire has reduced to acceptable levels, the guidelines will be withdrawn and businesses and stakeholders informed.”
Large scale
Every year in the UK, fires caused by disposable barbecues are reported, and can lead to large-scale grassland and heath fires, causing long-term habitat loss.
Designed to be single-use and usually only lit for two hours, the product is a waste of materials and also difficult to recycle. As a result, disposable barbecues more often than not end up in landfill if they aren’t abandoned or littered first.
Mark Hall from BusinessWaste.co.uk, said: “Our recent petition showed just how passionate people are about preventing the wildfires that ravage our natural landscape. It’s great to see the Government’s response means there’s potential for an outright ban, and we believe this is the most effective option.
“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 likely end up in landfill every year, a further environmental issue which highlights how problematic these products are.”
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