Fire hazard from disposable BBQs
An urgent warning has been issued about the danger of throwing away disposable BBQs before they are fully extinguished
The BBQs can smoulder unnoticed for hours and set fire to bins and refuse collection vehicles.
Use water or sand to pour over the charcoal embers or ash and leave it to cool for several hours before throwing them away.
Do not dispose of them in the recycling bin, as they cannot be recycled. Once completely cold, they should be placed in the household waste bin.
Similar care should be taken when using disposable BBQs in the countryside. Never leave them unattended and make sure they are fully out and have gone completely cold after use.
Chair of the Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham (BDR) Joint Waste Board, Cllr Mark Houlbrook, said: “These barbecues can smoulder for hours without it being visible to the naked eye, so it’s really important to make sure they are fully extinguished and have gone cold. We have had a number of actual fires and close calls on refuse collection vehicles when they have re-ignited. The consequences could be very serious.”
Community Education Liaison Officer Abi Reid, who is based at the household waste treatment facility at Manvers, said: “Because the BBQs are foil, people mistakenly think they can be recycled, but this is definitely not the case. Once completely extinguished and cold they should go in the household waste bin to dispose of them correctly and safely.”
More advice on disposable BBQs and other hot weather issues is available at http://www.syfire.gov.uk/
Note to Editors: The waste treatment facility at Manvers processes around a quarter of a million tonnes of leftover household waste a year from 340,000 homes across Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham, turning it into useful products rather than sending it to landfill.
For further information contact Abi Reid or Rebecca Wilson on 07814 302297, abi.reid@renewi.com or rebecca.wilson@renewi.com