Why Disposable BBQs Should Be Banned in the UK
Disposable BBQs are cheap, easy to buy, and designed to be thrown away after one use. That is exactly why Business Waste Ltd is calling for a UK-wide ban.
These single-use products create avoidable waste, increase fire risk, damage green spaces, and are difficult to dispose of safely. Several major supermarkets removed disposable BBQs from sale in 2022 after wildfire concerns, but the products are still available through some retailers and online marketplaces.
We’ve launched a petition calling for a UK-wide ban on disposable BBQs.
Key takeaways
- Disposable BBQs are single-use products that are difficult to recycle safely.
- They can stay hot for hours after use, creating fire and burn risks.
- Fire services and local authorities continue to warn against their use in parks, beaches, countryside, and dry grassland.
- Reusable portable BBQs are widely available and create far less waste over time.
- Business Waste Ltd is calling for a UK-wide ban to reduce landfill waste, litter, fires, and environmental damage.
Why are disposable BBQs
a problem?
Disposable BBQs are often bought for picnics, beaches, parks, campsites, and day trips. They are convenient in the moment, but that convenience creates problems afterwards.
The tray, charcoal, foil, grill mesh, ash, and packaging are usually contaminated after use. This makes the product hard to recycle through standard household or commercial recycling systems. In practice, many disposable BBQs end up in general waste, landfill, or as litter.
The problem is made worse by how difficult they are to cool and move safely. Litter Free Dorset warns that single-use BBQs are not suitable for public spaces because their high heat output makes them difficult to cool down before disposal.
As a result, some people abandon them or bury them in sand, which can create burn risks for people and animals.
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35 tonnesof single-use plastic waste packaging removed
Are disposable BBQs still being sold?
While several supermarkets stopped selling disposable BBQs in 2022, they remain available through some retailers and online marketplaces.
Aldi was one of the first major supermarkets to remove them from UK stores, saying the move would remove around 35 tonnes of single-use waste packaging. Waitrose also removed disposable BBQs from sale, and other major supermarkets later paused or removed sales during wildfire risk periods.
That showed retailers can act. But without a UK-wide ban, availability remains inconsistent. Consumers can still find these products, especially online, which weakens local fire prevention campaigns and creates confusion about whether disposable BBQs are safe or acceptable to use.
Why are disposable BBQs bad
for the environment?
Disposable BBQs create three linked environmental problems: waste, litter, and fire damage.
First, they are designed for short-term use. A product that may be used for a couple of hours can leave behind metal, foil, charcoal, ash, packaging, and food contamination. That is a poor use of materials when reusable alternatives exist.
Second, they are often used outdoors in places where disposal is harder. Beaches, parks, moorland, picnic areas, and countryside car parks do not always have suitable hot waste disposal points. If bins are full or unavailable, users may leave the BBQ behind.
Third, the fire risk can be severe. London Fire Brigade warns that disposable BBQs can cause grass fires if not put out properly, especially during hot weather when the ground is dry. It also notes that smouldering ash can be carried by wind and start fires nearby.
When fires spread through heathland, woodland, dunes, or grassland, the damage can last far beyond the day the BBQ was used. Habitats are destroyed, wildlife is harmed, and local authorities, fire services, and land managers are left with the clean-up.
How disposable BBQs create fire risk
Disposable BBQs stay hot long after people finish cooking. That is where many incidents start.
Common risks include:
- Placing BBQs directly on dry grass, sand, decking, or wooden benches
- Leaving them behind while still hot
- Putting hot trays into public bins
- Burying BBQs in sand, where they can burn feet or paws
- Using them during dry or windy weather
- Using them in parks, forests, moorland, or balconies
Fire chiefs have repeatedly warned against using disposable BBQs during dry weather.
In June 2025, the London Fire Brigade warned Londoners to avoid them during hot conditions and reported 332 barbecue-related callouts between 2022 and May 2025, with 17 resulting in casualties.
The risk is not theoretical. Local authorities, fire services, and conservation groups continue to report fires linked to disposable BBQs across the UK.
How should you dispose of a
disposable BBQ safely?
The best option is not to use one at all. But if someone does use a disposable BBQ, safe disposal matters.
Basic steps include:
- Let it cool completely before moving it.
- Never bury it in sand.
- Never put it into a bin while hot.
- Do not leave it in parks, beaches, moorland, or picnic areas.
- Use designated BBQ disposal points where provided.
- Follow local council or site-specific guidance.
- Take it home if there is no safe disposal point.
If the BBQ is still warm, it is not ready to throw away.
Mark Hall: “Reusable options already exist”
Mark Hall, Co-Founder and Director at Business Waste Ltd, comments:
Final thoughts
Disposable BBQs are a small purchase with a much bigger impact.
They create single-use waste, are difficult to recycle, can be abandoned in public spaces, and continue to pose a fire risk during warmer, drier weather. Retailer withdrawals in 2022 showed that change is possible, but voluntary action has not gone far enough.
Business Waste Ltd believes it is time for a clear UK-wide ban. Reusable alternatives already exist, and the environmental case for disposable BBQs has run out.
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