Special Event Recycles Disposable Barbecues
Hampshire Fare is supporting Corporate Partner Southern Co-op to recycle 8,000 disposable barbecues. Litter Free Dorset (LFD) is working with Southern Co-op and W&S Recycling to dismantle and recycle 8,000 disposable barbecues which were taken off stores’ shelves following the devastating heathland fires of 2022 and campaigns from Litter Free Dorset and the Urban Heaths Partnership.
Southern Co-op, which has permanently removed disposable barbecues from sale, was keen to make sure its barbeques were disposed of responsibly and approached LFD to help find the best use for them. This ambitious event on Thursday, 20th April, is the result of that partnership.
Emma Teasdale, Litter Free Dorset Coordinator, explains: “Disposable Barbecues pose a grave danger to Dorset’s natural environment and wildlife; they are also single-use and incredibly wasteful. Of course, we want people to enjoy their summer and make the most of our beautiful county, but this should not be at the cost of the environment. We are asking people to make the change by avoiding single-use items including disposable barbecues, and to look for reusable alternatives.”
Local organisations, community groups and individuals support Litter Free Dorset to implement projects to create sustainable behaviour change to reduce litter and waste. This event is being held at the W&S Material Recycling Facility in Poole. The barbecues and their component parts will be dismantled by volunteers and recycled by W&S, the recycling contractor for Dorset and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Councils. The plastic sleeves, paper liners, and cardboard outer trays will be processed with household recycling; the metal grill sheet and foil trays will go to W&S’ scrap metal site, and the six tonnes of charcoal Briquettes are being donated to Swanage Railway for use on the Swanage Steam Train.
Millions of disposable barbecues are sold every year in the UK, for as little as £1, but many don’t realise the impact they have on the environment. They are single use and almost impossible to recycle after use, so will often end up being incinerated, left on the beach, or in our environment.
Mark Smith, Chief Executive of Southern Co-op, said: “Sadly we have witnessed the devastating impact that disposable barbecues can have to both people and wildlife if they are not disposed of responsibly.
"Removing them from sale was an important move to protect our local wildlife and ecosystems as part of our longstanding commitment to reduce our impact on the environment. However, we also needed to be able to dispose of them responsibly, so it’s thanks to Litter Free Dorset and a host of dedicated volunteers, this is going to be made possible.”
Over 60 volunteers will be offering their support including helpers from Hampshire Fare, Southern Co-op, NFU Mutual, Dorset Council, Urban Heaths Partnership, Dorset & Wiltshire Fire Service, Wessex Water, Natural England, The National Trust and Marine Conservation Society.
The summer of 2022 was one of the hottest on record, and the driest since 1976, and Dorset & Wiltshire Fire Service attended 123 heathland fires across the county last year. The Studland Heath fire in August was probably caused by a disposable barbecue and not only put wildlife at risk but also visitors, residents, and the 90 fire fighters who tackled the blaze. Heathlands are home to a fantastic variety of wildlife, supporting a unique mix of plants, birds, reptiles, and invertebrates, some of which are extremely rare. Much of our heathland habitat has been lost – with only one sixth of it remaining in the UK – so we must work together to protect this precious environment.