Asda, Tesco, Co-op and Sainsbury’s have all decided to stop selling disposable BBQs as hot and dry weather continues in parts of the UK
Major supermarkets have pulled disposable BBQs from sale after a warning was issued over wildfires in the UK.
Asda stopped selling disposable BBQs this week, while Tesco and the Co-op paused all sales last month. Sainsbury’s has also withdrawn disposable BBQs until August 12.
Wilko and The Range have also started removing them from stores and online. Aldi, Lidl, Waitrose and M&S have not sold disposable grills since 2022.
It comes as exceptionally hot and dry weather continues in parts of the UK, with the Met Office officially declaring it the driest July for England and Wales since records began 190 years ago.
Wildfires are normally started by human actions, but drought conditions and dry vegetation make it easier for fires to spread. Fire chiefs have responded to more than 700 wildfires so far this year, including blazes in Dunwich, Suffolk and the Rhondda Valley in Wales in recent days.
The retailers have taken action in line with voluntary guidance from the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) which lasts until next Wednesday.
Inga Becker-Hansen, Products Policy Advisor at the British Retail Consortium, which represents over 200 retail businesses, said: “Retailers take the safety of their customers and the environment very seriously and adhere to BRC guidance.
“In line with the National Fire Chiefs Council’s advice, we have encouraged retailers to remove disposable barbecues from sale during this period of extreme heat. We remain open to working with local authorities to reduce fire risks and encourage the public to exercise personal responsibility when using disposable BBQs.”
Jon Pearce, Labour MP for High Peak in Derbyshire, also wrote to businesses last week asking them to stop selling disposable BBQs for the rest of the summer.
Speaking to Press Association, Mr Pearce said the NFCC guidance on disposable BBQs should be made mandatory, adding: “The big retailers are taking the lead, which is great, but now we need the others to come in behind them.
“Asking them to suspend sales this summer is to deal with the immediate problem but we have to accept the fact that the climate has changed.
“Last summer was the worst on record for wildfires . This year will almost certainly surpass it. We need to adapt quickly to our changing climate and start planning for next summer now.”
A Co-op spokesperson said: “Co-op takes its environmental and community responsibilities extremely seriously and has a long-standing policy for the safe sale disposable BBQs, supported by the NFCC.
“Due to the very hot weather and drought conditions the UK is currently experiencing, and in line with the NFCC guidance, we have voluntarily removed all disposable BBQs from sale for a temporary period.”
A spokesperson for Tesco said: “As a responsible retailer Tesco follows the voluntary code on the sale of disposable barbecues created by the British Retail Consortium and the NFCC.
“In line with the code, we have temporarily removed disposable barbecues from sale across our stores and online.”
