As the hot weather continues and with no rain forecast, Litter Free Dorset is calling on all retailers to completely remove disposable BBQs from sale.

In the period from 1 May to 31 July this year, 79 heathland fires were attended by Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, up from 41 fires during the same period in 2021 – an increase of 93 per cent.

The campaign to stop the sale of disposable barbecues is gaining momentum, with the recent announcement that Southern Co-op has stopped selling disposable BBQs completely from all its Co-operative Food convenience stores. They join Waitrose, Aldi and M&S who have already removed disposable BBQs from sale, along with other retailers who have removed them from selected stores.

Litter Free Dorset is now directly asking all retailers to remove them from all stores in the county and the organisation gives it reasons:

• Disposable BBQs can be disposed of irresponsibly which can result in wildfire, with devastating environmental, social and economic impact
• Disposable BBQs are single use and non-recyclable, destined for landfill or incineration. They are unsustainable as they contain charcoal, which is often from unsustainable sources, contributing to deforestation
• Disposable BBQs pose a considerable safety risk to beach users, often being left under sand or littered and causing serious injury

Dorset Council’s disposable BBQ and campfire policy is already in place to ban disposable BBQs and the lighting of campfires at Dorset Council country parks and land that is at high risk of fire, and their website has seen a recent upsurge in support for its joint campaigns on this issue.

This July was the driest in 87 years.

A spokesman said: “It is important to remember that disposable BBQs are not the only thing posing a risk this summer – cigarette butts, campfires, bonfires, and open fires of any kind are equally dangerous and can cause serious harm to heathlands and open spaces.”

Litter Free Dorset is asking people to opt for picnics instead of BBQs but, if they do decide to BBQ, to use a re-usable BBQ in a safe, designated location only and follow the Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service BBQ guidance.