SUPERMARKET CHAIN TO END SALE OF DISPOSABLE BARBECUES TO HELP SAFEGUARD COUNTRYSIDE

 

Fire risk when used irresponsibly

ALDI has become the first UK supermarket to ban the sale of disposable barbecues nationwide in a bid to safeguard coast and countryside.

The barbecues pose a problem because they create fire risk, threaten wildlife and create litter.

The ban across all Aldi UK stores will also lead to the removal of approximately 35 tonnes of single-use waste packaging.

Says Liz Fox, the chain's corporate responsibility director: "We are committed to reducing our impact on the environment and know that many of our shoppers are increasingly looking to do the same."

It is undertood that other retailers, such as Waitrose, are also looking to cease sales of disposable barbecues.

Co-op does not sell such barbecues in shops located with a 100-mile radius of national parks. 

The move has been welcomed by Amanda Craig, director of people & nature at Natural England, who comments: "We welcome any step that helps people act more responsibly whilst enjoying the countryside."

Aldi previously stopped selling disposable barbecues at its Buxton store, located close to the Peak District National Park, in June last year.

Too often spent barbecues are left as litter