Major UK supermarkets have removed disposable barbecues from sale amid warnings of a heightened risk of wildfires. Asda has become the latest retailer to pull single-use grills from its shelves as exceptionally dry and hot weather continues to affect parts of the UK.
The move follows a series of fires that firefighters have recently battled, including in Dunwich in Suffolk and the Rhondda Valley in Wales. Other major sellers have taken similar action.
Retailers Respond to Fire Risk
The Co-op and Tesco are understood to have paused sales of disposable BBQs in July, and Sainsbury's has also agreed to withdraw them until August 12. Retailers such as Wilko and The Range have also begun removing the products from both their stores and online platforms in response to the heightened fire risk.
Several other chains, including Aldi, Lidl, Waitrose, and Marks & Spencer, have not stocked disposable barbecues since 2022.
Voluntary Guidance and Political Pressure
The supermarkets and chains that have recently suspended sales are understood to be following voluntary guidance issued by the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), which remains in place until next Wednesday as parts of the UK continue to experience a prolonged heatwave.
Jon Pearce, the Labour MP for High Peak in Derbyshire, wrote to retail giants last week asking them to stop selling single-use grills for the rest of the summer. He has since welcomed the decision by major chains and urged smaller retailers to follow suit.
Speaking to the 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."
He said he would continue campaigning for a ban on the use of disposable BBQs in public spaces, adding: "The Government needs to genuinely look at what's happening. It's great retailers are supporting us this summer but I would expect the Government to look at the risks and act ahead of next summer."
Fire Chiefs' Warning
Fire chiefs warned last week that wildfires were becoming an "increasingly significant and sustained pressure" on services, which have responded to more than 700 in England and Wales so far this year. The NFCC urged against using disposable BBQs in open countryside, parks, and moorland areas to "significantly reduce the risk" of blazes.
