Should disposable BBQs be banned?

Auburngal · 2024-05-12T16:36:47+00:00

Last year, many retailers, including mine stopped selling disposable BBQs due to the dry and extremely hot weather. I'm not a fan on disposable BBQs They should be banned as: 1. People have them in public parks and beaches which isn't allowed, unless the park has a designated BBQ area. Because of this, the ground is charred (in parks) and people leave the rubbish behind - including food. As my fellow litter wombles have found. 1. They are a fire hazard 1. People are injured by buried disposable BBQs on beaches.

Original poster

Auburngal · 13/05/2024 06:36

The only park in the county where I live with an actual bbq area is a park in a not so nice area of the city and people have been attacked walking through it

OP posts:

user1477391263 · 13/05/2024 05:59

Yes, ban them. They are hard to cool down properly even if people are acting in good faith and doing their best to dispose of them safely. And so many people don't even try to use them safely. There is no inalienable human right to BBQ outside. And small portable reusable BBQs are cheaper than ever. I would also like to see the UK set up more BBQ places that can be hired by visitors - this is common in many countries.

Original poster

Auburngal · 13/05/2024 05:53

penjil · 12/05/2024 20:38

Correct.

The UK has a disgusting litter problem.
Leaving your trash or throwing it out of the window is perfectly acceptable to many people.

It's all just part of this disrespectful chav culture, and everything being someone's else's problem.

Personal responsibility has gone out of the window.

It's painful and very sad.

Show quote history

The outside isn’t a one big bin.

Why can’t people leave their rubbish in their car/van/lorry cab until they get to their destination or need to stop en route (filling up with fuel)? Besides some people’s cars are full of crap.

One of these days, someone will be killed or die due to injuries by someone chucking their rubbish outside their car window. Last year I was driving behind a car swerving dangerously and i kept back. Then I saw a large nitrous oxide canister (cream charger) being thrown out of the car. Dread to think what would have happened if it was chucked out the passenger side. The driver was on hippy crack.

OP posts:

penjil · 12/05/2024 20:38

ComtesseDeSpair · 12/05/2024 17:51

I think that in the U.K., a lot of people just aren’t used to the concept of Leave No Trace, responsible fire setting, and picking up after themselves, because we rarely have to cope with wildfires and very dry weather. As temperatures rise and summers become hotter, better education around that is going to become a necessity, as it isn’t just disposable barbecues which will be an issue. Banning them in isolation isn’t going to solve the problem.

Edited

Correct.

The UK has a disgusting litter problem.
Leaving your trash or throwing it out of the window is perfectly acceptable to many people.

It's all just part of this disrespectful chav culture, and everything being someone's else's problem.

Personal responsibility has gone out of the window.

It's painful and very sad.

reallyworriedjobhunter · 12/05/2024 20:37

Talk to a firefighter about it.

A friend of mine is a firefighter on the south coast. She will spend the next few months dealing with wildfires which she says are mostly connected to disposable bbqs and cigarettes.

They are also massively polluting.

Hillarious · 12/05/2024 20:33

Auburngal · 12/05/2024 20:26

My parents got rid of their BBQ as too much hassle to clean. Cook meal in the kitchen, eat outside.

Show quote history

@Auburngal Am I your mum?

Original poster

Auburngal · 12/05/2024 20:26

Hillarious · 12/05/2024 18:05

Ban them. Even if you can leave them on concrete and dispose of them safely at home, we should ban them. You can cook your sausages on the hob and take the hot dog outside. I am biased though. Why use a barbecue of any kind at home when you’ve a perfectly good oven which cooks things properly!

My parents got rid of their BBQ as too much hassle to clean. Cook meal in the kitchen, eat outside.

OP posts:

Wednesdaysotherchild · 12/05/2024 20:19

100% in favour of a ban! The damage they can cause far outweighs anyone’s perceived entitlement to bbq anywhere they fancy.

Bingbangboo · 12/05/2024 19:30

5foot5 · 12/05/2024 18:57

Honestly they are really not that difficult to cool down fairly quickly. When we have used one we either plan to use it near a large body of water, e.g. the sea, or we take water with us.

When you have finished cooking you pour water all over it and it cools pretty quick. We have never had any difficulty in cooling them down enough to put in a bin bag to take home with us.

Show quote history

The trouble is that the BBQ might be cool enough to be safely removed and the surface sand can cool down, but the deeper layers of sand underneath will stay hot enough to cause serious burns for hours afterwards. You won't know until someone stands on it and their feet breach the surface sand.

Ilovemyshed · 12/05/2024 19:09

Prawncow · 12/05/2024 17:41

Is there a safe way to dispose of them if you’re not at home?

Jeez. How stupid do you have to be to not work this out?

LakieLady · 12/05/2024 19:04

MuscariFan · 12/05/2024 17:50

Not much help fining people when you only find out they’ve been used irresponsibly by the forest fire that runs for days.

Sadly, yes I think they probably should be banned.

Show quote history

Yes, people are clearly too stupid to be allowed them, so they should be banned.

I have a dinky little folding barbecue that I take if I'm ever having a barbecue on a beach or anywhere. And I take a bottle of water to douse the hot charcoal after it's been used.

5foot5 · 12/05/2024 18:57

Prawncow · 12/05/2024 17:52

Unless you have lots of water or you’re at home and you can safely leave them on concrete to cool for hours I don’t think they’re easy to dispose of safely. They stay very hot for a long time. I don’t think it’s reasonable to sell something as disposable when it’s messy and dangerous to dispose of.

Show quote history

Honestly they are really not that difficult to cool down fairly quickly. When we have used one we either plan to use it near a large body of water, e.g. the sea, or we take water with us.

When you have finished cooking you pour water all over it and it cools pretty quick. We have never had any difficulty in cooling them down enough to put in a bin bag to take home with us.

muddyford · 12/05/2024 18:56

Along with those Chinese lanterns. They are polluting somewhere, farmland, oceans.

Morethantimeandmorethanlove · 12/05/2024 18:52

There have been several accidents with people getting burns to feet after stepping on disposable barbecues buried on beaches. Horrifying. Here ‘s one
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-61961111 www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-61961111]]]]

Blanketpolicy · 12/05/2024 18:36

We bought a disposable BBQ once and never again.

Way back in late 90s, when my bf (now dh) and I were visiting his papa, who lived nearly 2hrs away, we took one as previously he had mentioned not having had a bbq for years and we thought it would be a good solution. We obviously were young and stupid and never thought it through fully.

It was a pain in the arse to cool down and dispose of as we didn't want to leave with his elderly papa to deal with. And also crap to cook on so essentially a bad idea all round.

I cannot think of a single way that they could be disposed of safely out in public. They can reignite several hours later after drying out. It is irresponsible to risk putting in a public bin, and idiotic take in a car too, so it is a big no and ban them for me.

viques · 12/05/2024 18:35

Beatrixslobber · 12/05/2024 18:24

People just don’t seem to be intelligent enough to understand how to use them so yes they need banning.

Yesterday some twit put their disposable bbq in the bin at Harlyn. The fire brigade attended but I would imagine that the culprit was long gone and so will never learn.

I saw one where the bright sparks used an upturned plastic supermarket bread tray to put their bbqs on. Well that left a bit of a mess as anyone with the slightest understanding of the melting properties of plastic will understand.

Hillarious · 12/05/2024 18:30

Puppuccino · 12/05/2024 18:10

You can't compare an oven to a bbq, they're two different things! Pretty lame party, too, just putting sausages in the oven😭

Show quote history

@Puppuccino You’re welcome to my lame parties any time. I can guarantee sausages and chicken cooked to perfection and consumed al fresco.

BoobyDazzler · 12/05/2024 18:27

Jc2001 · 12/05/2024 18:16

But just how much are disposable BBQs part of your life that you couldn't give them up for the greater good considering how much damage they do?

Show quote history

How much damage they CAN do (in the wrong hands). You talk as if disposable bbq’s are staging an uprising!

I’m not sure I agree with banning them, they’re useful for camping or having a bbq when you haven’t got a proper one but I’d sign a petition to ban the type of imbecile who uses a bbq in a bone dry forest or leaves them on a beach but I do appreciate that’d be harder to implement.

Riversideandrelax · 12/05/2024 18:26

parkrun500club · 12/05/2024 17:47

Yes they should - I thought most of the supermarkets had stopped selling them.

I saw piles of them last summer in supermarkets.

Riversideandrelax · 12/05/2024 18:25

Runningonempty01 · 12/05/2024 17:47

They probably should be banned but there also should be places where people can cook and socialise outside for those who haven't got room to store a BBQ and or a garden. Places to cook Paella on specially designed stands are quite common in Spain.

In my city we have brick BBQs for the public to use.

Beatrixslobber · 12/05/2024 18:24

People just don’t seem to be intelligent enough to understand how to use them so yes they need banning.

Yesterday some twit put their disposable bbq in the bin at Harlyn. The fire brigade attended but I would imagine that the culprit was long gone and so will never learn.

VestibuleVirgin · 12/05/2024 18:20

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Riversideandrelax · 12/05/2024 18:20

5foot5 · 12/05/2024 18:12

It is such a shame really that they have got such a bad reputation because of idiots who use them irresponsible and inconsideretely.

We have used them occasionally in years gone by but you have to use your common sense and plan appropriately. Obviously you choose your site so there is no fire risk and not too many people around who might object yo smoke and smells. We usually like a near deserted beach or a large rock somewhere in the middle of nowhere.

Definitely not in the middle of a heatwave when the ground is like tinder.

And afterwards put the BBQ out completely and put it in a bag together with all the other rubbish to take home. We left no trace.

The few we did were great fun and we did no harm. Unfortunately they are so frowned on now we probably won't do it again.

Except in elderly FILs garden because he likes the idea of a BBQ but doesn't own one so sometimes we take a disposable there so we can have one together.

If you'd rather use something other than a disposable - I have a bucket BBQ. Small, portable and reusable!

Createausername1970 · 12/05/2024 18:19

Prawncow · 12/05/2024 17:52

Unless you have lots of water or you’re at home and you can safely leave them on concrete to cool for hours I don’t think they’re easy to dispose of safely. They stay very hot for a long time. I don’t think it’s reasonable to sell something as disposable when it’s messy and dangerous to dispose of.

Show quote history

Exactly my point. If you can't deal with them safely, don't buy them 🙂.

K0OLA1D · 12/05/2024 18:19

No they're shouldn't. I find them really handy. I couldn't manage the cleaning and care of a proper bbq.