Stratford-on-Avon District Council warns against disposable BBQs in open spaces

Residents in Stratford-on-Avon District are being urged not to use disposable barbeques on any green space within the District this summer, due to environmental and safety hazards.  

In previous years, warm weather and longer days have led to visitors and residents using disposable barbeques on the Recreation Ground, Welcombe Hills, Clopton Park and many other popular green spaces in the District, to cook food with family and friends.  

However, after barbeques have been used, they can take several hours to fully cool. Users of barbeques do not have time to wait, which means that they are either left in-situ or placed in or next to a litter bin.

Both options pose a significant danger to the environment and third parties.

In 2023, the contents of a recycling collection vehicle in the District was set on fire after a disposable barbeque was placed in a blue-lidded recycling bin.  

The District Council is regularly contacted by concerned members of the public, reporting damage caused by barbeques or makeshift campfires. Further afield, disposable barbeques have started forest fires in Scotland, Staffordshire and Bristol, and caused serious injuries to children and animals.  

Disposable barbeques are not an environmentally friendly choice: aside from the fact that they cannot be recycled (they should be placed in general waste bins only when cold), burning charcoal releases pollutants including carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and trace metals.  

The District Council urges anyone thinking of using a disposable barbeque on greenspaces within the District to instead purchase food and drinks from many of the local take away restaurants.