RETAILERS have banned a must-have garden product as the UK is set be gripped by another heatwave.
Supermarkets including Aldi and Morrisons have made the decision to limit or even outright ban the sale of disposable barbecues.
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It comes after the government considered a major legal crackdown on the products.
In April, environment minister Victoria Prentis said that research is being commissioned into the role that disposable barbecues play in wildfires.
The temporary grills are responsible for 4% of serious accidental blazes, according to Home Office data.
Following a number of wildfires in and around London, Mayor Sadiq Khan said: A number of these fires are grass fires, the problem is we’ve not had rain in the entire month of July in London.
“The grass is like hay which means it’s easier to catch fire, and once it catches fire it spreads incredibly fast.
“My advice is not to have BBQs, not on balconies, not in parks nor in your private gardens.”
Now, some retailers are making the decision to ban the products.
One chain said the move will help it protect the nation’s forests and wildlife.
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We’ve rounded up the full list of retailers which are banning the sale of disposable BBQs:
Which retailers have banned disposable BBQs?
Aldi
Earlier this year, Aldi became the first supermarket to stop selling disposable barbecues in all of its UK stores.
The supermarket said the ban was made in a bid to protect the nation’s forests and wildlife, and would lead to the removal of approximately 35 tonnes of single-use waste packaging.
Aldi had already stopped selling disposable barbecues at its Buxton store, located close to the Peak District National Park, in June 2021.
Morrisons
Morrisons made the decision to ban the sale of disposable barbecues, but only in certain locations.
Instead of going for an all-out ban, it has stopped selling them within a one mile of all national parks.
This means stores near areas including the Brecon Beacons, Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and Norfolk Broads no longer stock the product.
Co-op
Co-op put a similar policy in place in 2021.
The supermarket said that 130 shops situated in or within a one-mile radius of a national park would stop selling disposable barbecues.
The decision was made, in part, to help stop fires.
Waitrose
Waitrose followed Aldi this year with a disposable barbecue ban.
The supermarket removed the products from the shelves of 331 of its core stores.
Lucy Comer, buyer at Waitrose said: “Disposable barbecues present a risk to our natural habitats and this is why we’ve committed to removing them from our shelves this year.
“This is the right thing to do to preserve our local ecosystems and another example of the work we’re doing to protect the planet.
“We applaud Aldi for standing with us to make this happen and we hope other retailers will follow.”
Bans around barbeque products aren’t always welcomed.
M&S
Marks and Spencer announced last week that it has taken all disposable BBQ’s off its shelves.
In a tweet put out on August 3, M&S said: “We want to help protect open spaces and reduce the risk of fires.
“We’d already stopped selling disposable barbecues near national parks and in London.
“Given the unusually hot and dry conditions, we’ve taken the precautionary step of removing them from sale across the UK.”
Recently, disputes broke out after ministers tried to sneak through plans to ban Brits from having BBQs during the heatwave.
And Brighton and Hove City Council has come under fire over the controversial proposal to stop holidaymakers and residents enjoying using the grilling stations in all beaches, parks and open spaces.
