Major UK supermarkets have removed disposable BBQs from their shelves following wildfire concerns. Asda ceased sales of disposable BBQs this week, while Tesco and Co-op halted sales last month. Sainsbury’s has also withdrawn disposable BBQs until August 12. Other retailers like Wilko and The Range have followed suit by removing these items in-store and online. Aldi, Lidl, Waitrose, and M&S have not been selling disposable grills since 2022.
The move comes as the UK experiences exceptionally hot and dry weather, with the Met Office declaring July the driest on record for England and Wales in the past 190 years. The dry conditions have made it easier for wildfires to occur, with over 700 wildfires having been responded to by fire chiefs this year, including recent incidents in Dunwich, Suffolk, and the Rhondda Valley in Wales.
Retailers have taken this action in response to voluntary guidance from the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), which will be in effect until the following Wednesday. Inga Becker-Hansen, a Products Policy Advisor at the British Retail Consortium, emphasized the importance of customer and environmental safety, stating that retailers are complying with NFCC guidance to remove disposable barbecues during the extreme heat period.
Jon Pearce, Labour MP for High Peak in Derbyshire, has urged businesses to stop selling disposable BBQs for the rest of the summer. He highlighted the need for mandatory implementation of NFCC guidance on disposable BBQs and emphasized the importance of adapting to the changing climate to prevent future wildfires.
Co-op and Tesco have affirmed their commitment to environmental responsibility by voluntarily removing disposable BBQs from sale in line with NFCC guidance due to the current hot weather and drought conditions in the UK.