The burning question - how to BBQ responsibly this summer
Picture the scene:
Clear blue sea, hazy summer sunset, light breeze, sand between your toes, your family and friends gathered around you, a cool drink in hand, and your favourite tasty treats sizzling on the bbq. Sounds idyllic right?
Well, almost. While we’re all for al fresco dining and the health benefits of nature connection, disposable BBQs on our beaches can actually cause a lot of injury and damage over the summer months, particularly on popular sandy beaches like Saunton and Croyde.
Our Protect our Playground concept is all about finding ways to share our enjoyment of the beautiful natural environment on our doorstep, at the same time as protecting what we love, so we caught up with Croyde Beach Manager, Holly Robertson, to find out more:
“BBQs are very damaging on sandy beaches for a number of reasons, often they are not disposed of correctly, either being buried in the sand for other beach goers to later cut their feet on, or put in a bin before they've cooled down and causing bin fires.
“Even BBQs which are attended to and disposed of correctly can still cause huge problems on a sandy beach. Hot embers from BBQs or fires of any kind can land in the dunes, set the grass alight, and potentially have a catastrophic impact on one of the rarest habitats in the UK and the animals which live in it.
“In addition disposable BBQs trap heat within the sand in a column which can stay hot for hours after the BBQ has been moved, meaning if anyone walks over that spot in bare feet they can be badly burned.
“BBQs and fires of any kind are not allowed on Croyde beach or dunes for the reasons above and the beach team spend a lot of time and effort trying to prevent beach users having BBQs. It doesn't matter how well meaning, or responsibly done the BBQ or fire is, they can still put the habitat and other beach goers at risk.”
Saunton Beach Enterprises spokesperson, Lucie Tamlyn, tells a similar story and had this to add:
"Disposable barbecues are sold as a quick and convenient al fresco dining option but all too often end up being an unwelcome guest on the beach. Every summer we see numerous injuries, some of them quite severe, caused by people and dogs standing on hot coals in the sand (they don't cool down quickly) or slicing themselves on sharp grille edges. We would advise people to ultimately seek less 'disposable' ways to enjoy food on the beach. And if they can't resist using them, then we urge that people safely dispose of them in dedicated barbecue bins like the ones we have at Saunton."
On an environmental level, disposable BBQs are almost impossible to recycle and burning coal is not great either, in terms of sustainability, emissions, and particulates affecting the quality of the air that we breathe. Another thing to consider is the food that we BBQ - going a little easier on the meat, soy, and cheese can reduce the carbon footprint and water consumed, and buying local is one of the single most effective ways to eat more sustainably and support our local economies and communities.
So if you’re feeling that BBQ urge, why not enjoy your BBQ at home before or after your beach trip? Or invest in a portable rather than a disposable BBQ so you can keep using the same BBQ over and over again. Another suggestion to get that smoky BBQ flavour is to use a newer wood burning stove, using locally sourced seasoned wood that will release less particulates and have a smaller carbon footprint than coal.
If you want to find out more about our work, including our Ocean Explorers educational outreach, our guide to local food producers, and our campaign to ban the sale of cheap polystyrene bodyboards in our coastal communities, please check out the rest of our website or get in touch plasticfreenorthdevon@gmail.com.
Image credit: Dom @dom_ on unsplash.com