Should disposable barbecues be banned?

Some people think it's time to say goodbye to these single-use sizzlers.

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What do the summer holidays mean for you? Hot, sunny days and long evenings? Swallows swooping and diving? Fresh strawberries and the tinkling of ice cream vans? Or perhaps it’s that sizzling, smoky summer smell that sets the mouth-watering – the smell of a barbecue.

This year, not everyone is convinced that the delights of burned sausages and burgers are quite worth the risk. In Kent, England, people have been banned from using disposable (single-use) barbecues on a long stretch of coastline. Similar controls have also been introduced in Brighton and Hove, in East Sussex.

Disposable barbecues are shallow metal trays filled with charcoal. A sheet of mesh covers the charcoal, so that once the whole thing has been lit and the embers are glowing, you can cook meat, vegetables and meat-alternatives on top.

Those in favour of the bans say that this type of outdoor stove is just too dangerous to be allowed in natural spaces. Unlike barbecues that are made of sturdy metal, or brick and concrete, to contain the hot coals, the throw-away ones are generally placed directly on the ground. It’s not hard to see how flames can hop out of the charcoal and quickly cause a wildfire. Last year, London’s fire commissioner, Andy Roe, said, “We need urgent action now to see a national ban on the sale of disposable barbecues. They can be bought for as little as £5 and can cause untold damage.”