With supermarket chains Waitrose and Aldi banning the sale of disposable barbecues this summer, Barbeque loving Brits are looking for alternative ways to cook their meal whilst outdoors.
Disposable barbecues have long been a staple of many people’s summers. But the ban on the sale of disposable barbeques has sound "green" reasons behind it. After all over, one million of these single-use grills ending up in landfills each year. And they can cause wildfires or burn injuries if not properly used or adequately disposed of.
The team at the online campsite booking site Pitchup agree that our time spent in the outdoors must be sustainable.
Alex Russell, Head of Sales at Pitchup shares his insight on the importance of no longer using disposable barbecues and has suggested five of the best sustainable alternatives.
“We're aware of the increase in searches for ways to camp safely and with eco-friendly camping products - which includes the way people cook their food whilst they are camping.
“It is understandable that as the weather starts warming up, Brits will want to get outdoors with one of the most popular activities being cooking up something on a barbecue.
“But single-use disposable barbecues that can be easily bought in supermarkets can have an massive damaging impact on the environment and also on local wildlife.
“An immediate danger with disposable barbecues is they can produce a quantity of carbon monoxide, with fumes emitted during cooking and long after the flames are extinguished.
“Incidentally, should you ever use a disposable barbecue and find yourself feeling symptoms such as feeling sick, dizzy, or having difficulty breathing, this could be a sign of carbon monoxide poisoning."
He went on to say: “Also, these disposable barbeques usually contain charcoal and it's an unfortunate fact that it's most likely that it wasn't sustainably sourced. So every disposable barbecue will already have had a negative impact on the environment. Even before you put a match to it."
Alex also raises some other important issues surrounding safety. He said: “Not everyone who use these disposable barbeques use them safely. For example, if a person places a disposable barbecue directly on the ground, it can completely destroy the ground beneath it and creates a risk of fire spreading."
(EDITOR My wife and I have witnessed the result of what happened when someone had placed a disposable barbeque on a picnic table at a beauty spot. Unfortunately although the table was made to look like wood it was constructed of plastic and the disposable barbeque melted the surface of the table and ruined it for other visitors.)
“Disposable barbecues can't be recycled and they can't be composted, so many millions of them end up in UK landfills each year.
“While disposable barbecues only last for around one and a half to two hours during their use, it can take the aluminium or iron they are made from approximately 200 years to fully decompose once they are thrown into a landfill."
Are there any alternatives? Yes. According to Alex there are, so those who can't cope without a sizzle on their campsite or in their back garden will not have to go without.
What Alternatives Are Out There?
Portable barbecues make life easier for people who find themselves without a garden, or one with little outdoor space. They're also pretty nifty for people who like to spend their summers making regular trips to campsites in Cornwall, Wales Scotland or anywhere else.
The bonus is that the fact they're reusable makes them more economically and environmentally friendly. Also there are plenty of different types to choose from.
It is hard to believe a portable barbecue that ticks so many boxes is available for such a modest price. For under £20 this portable barbecue is lightweight, more eco-friendly than disposables and suitable to use almost anywhere.
Its legs easily fold up, so storage and transportation isn't a problem. It also comes with a strong carrying handle.
The specially designed grill plate, with smaller ventilation holes than more traditional barbecue griddles means you're less likely to lose food to the hot coals.
This barbecue is available for £19 directly from IKEA and also online from them. www.ikea.com.
Landmann Piccolino Portable Charcoal Barbecue
This unbelievably lightweight barbecue makes it the perfect pick for avid barbecuers who tend to move about.
It is exceptionally small and easy to pack away, so you can fit it in your car boot, in a cupboard at home, or maybe under your patio furniture or in your garden shed?
This barbecue is widely available. It is priced at £47.03 on Amazon.
Cobb Barbecue Cooking System
This futuristic design doesn't look like any barbecue you've used before, but it will still deliver the same great barbequed foods. You can also use it to smoke foods, cook roasts and even cook pizzas!
It has the advantage of using a minimum amount of charcoal, so is a greener option. And the Teflon cooking plate also makes it easy to clean, too!
With its padded shoulder bag, it's really easy to carry so is even a safer, green option for hikers.
It costs £139.99 on Amazon.
This compact barbecue has a sustainable cork lid that doubles as a heatproof mat that can be placed almost anywhere. (EDITOR: Probably not plastic tables no matter how good the wood grain effect is!)
Once lit, the lid also functions as a vent.
The strong carrying strap also makes it easy to carry. This is another unit that's ideal for hikers.
Also available for £139.99 on Amazon.
BioLite Base Camp Barbecue and Pizza Oven
This all-rounder is one of the more expensive portable barbecues, but it's lightweight and is a stunning camp stove and grill combo which can not only barbeque, but also cooks pizzas, too.
It also features a USB charger which generates electricity from the heat generated, plus an LED light, making this a very handy camping cooker. And, in my opinion, very eco-friendly indeed!
The BaseCamp converts heat into usable electricity for large-format cooking and charging. It's designed to use only fallen branches or small pieces of firewood, so cooks wood-fired meals and charge devices all at the same time.
They point out "It's a smarter alternative to fossil-fuelled stoves, creating an elevated cooking fire that burns smarter than any fire you're used to."
This barbecue is available for £399 directly from BioLite. https://row.bioliteenergy.com/
Many thanks to Alex and the people at Pitchup for their excellent help in putting this feature together.
https://www.pitchup.com/campsites/England/South_West/Cornwall/.
We applaud stopping the sale of disposable BBQs. As well as all the good reasons in the article, might I point out that all BBQs, particularly charcoal ones can emit carbon monoxide (CO). CO is a deadly gas of which less than 2% in the air can kill or maim in less than three minutes. CO can be emitted if there is insufficient oxygen at the flame. For example if a charcoal BBQ is put inside it can emit CO even if the used BBQ seems cold to the touch on the top. So perhaps people should think about using gas BBQs because you can turn the gas off and you then know you are safe. It is also known that the firelighters used to light charcoal emit foul toxins that are unpleasant and dangerous. For more information do feel free to email office@co-gassafety.co.uk
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