Bye-bye disposable BBQs

Hazardous disposable barbecues to be removed.

  • Waitrose one of the first UK supermarkets to commit to ending the sale of disposable barbecues
  • This will save an estimated 70,000 disposable barbecues from being sold each year
  • ‘Disposable barbecues present a risk to our natural habitats’

Waitrose and Aldi have become the first UK supermarkets today (March 9th) to commit to ending the sale of disposable barbecues, with Waitrose already removing them across all 331 of its core *stores.

The move comes as increasing pressure mounts from leading charities and environmental organisations for supermarkets to remove disposable barbecues due to their potentially hazardous impact on the environment.

We estimate this will save around 70,000 disposable barbecues from being sold per year, which will save multiple tonnes of paper labels, shrink wrap plastic, cooking grills, foil and card.

Protecting natural habitats 

Lucy Comer, Buyer at Waitrose, said: "Disposable barbecues present a risk to our natural habitats and this is why we've committed to removing them from our shelves this year. This is the right thing to do to preserve our local ecosystems and another example of the work we're doing to protect the planet. We applaud Aldi for standing with us to make this happen and we hope other retailers will follow."

Read more about our Sustainable approach here

Related news

View all
Image of Waitrose Haslemere reopens after multi-million pound transformation
Waitrose 05 Mar 2026

Waitrose Haslemere reopens after multi-million pound transformation

Read more
Image of Say it with food from Waitrose this Mother’s Day
Waitrose 04 Mar 2026

Say it with food from Waitrose this Mother’s Day

Read more
Image of A better catch: Waitrose becomes first UK supermarket to suspend mackerel sourcing over sustainability concerns
Waitrose 26 Feb 2026

A better catch: Waitrose becomes first UK supermarket to suspend mackerel sourcing over sustainability concerns

Read more