At Litter Free Dorset we are campaigning for:

• Businesses to choose to remove disposable BBQs from sale
• Everyone to choose not to use disposable BBQs

Instead we are calling on stores to replace their disposable BBQ ranges with reusable choices while encouraging the public to use reusable options and to only BBQ at safe, designated locations.

1. Disposable BBQs are often inappropriately disposed of, sometimes resulting in wildfire, with devastating environmental, social and economic impact.  

• In 2020, it only took a couple of BBQs to burn down an area the size of over 200 football pitches in Wareham Forest. 

2. Disposable BBQs are unsustainable – single use and non recyclable, so destined for landfill or incineration, while containing charcoal, often from unsustainable sources, contributing to deforestation. 

• Waitrose and Aldi have removed disposable BBQs from sale. Waitrose estimate for their stores alone, they will save 70,000 disposable barbecues from being sold per year, preventing 7.4 tonnes of foil and 1.1 tonnes of shrink-wrap plastic being produced each year.

3. Disposable BBQs pose a considerable safety risk to beach visitors, often being littered, left under the sand, causing injury.

• Once lit, the base of disposable BBQ gets very hot – over 400°C according to Bar-be-quick. Disposable BBQs can take several hours to cool down.
• If left as litter, or buried under the sand, disposable BBQs can cause injuries, cuts and burns to not only ourselves but also our local wildlife, such as scavenging seagulls!