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B&Q to stop selling patio heaters

Posted: 25/01/2008

B&Q, the UK DIY retailer, has announced a series of green initiatives to help both the company and their customer base to reduce their environmental impact. The DIY chain has signed a three-year partnership with BioRegional which will lead to them becoming a 'One Planet Living' business.

One Planet Living is a global initiative of ten guiding principles of sustainability developed by BioRegional and WWF. The principles include: zero carbon, zero waste, sustainable transport, local and sustainable materials, local and sustainable food, sustainable water, natural habitats and wildlife, culture and heritage, equity and fair trade and health and happiness.

B&Q will work with BioRegional to develop two sustainability action plans: one for B&Q’s own operations to reduce the company's carbon footprint in line with the principles of One Planet Living, and one to help its customers achieve One Planet Living in their homes and gardens through products which meet the scheme's rigorous criteria.

As part of the initiative, B&Q aims to extend its current range of products that help customers reduce the environmental impact of their homes and develop new ones to have a substantial One Planet Living product range in store.

As a starting move, the chain has confirmed that its entire kitchen range is now 100% FSC certified, meaning that all wood used to make B&Q’s kitchens comes from well-managed sources.

The company have also announced that they will stop selling patio heaters. Previously the largest seller of patio heaters in the UK, they have confirmed that once the current stock runs out it will not restock them. Notcutts and Wyevale have already agreed to stop selling the heaters, all three retailers will continue to stock more sustainable outdoor heating solutions such as chimneas and fire pits.

Friends of the Earth have welcomed the announcements, campaigner Ed Matthew commenting on the decision to stop stocking patio heaters, said “These carbon- belching monstrosities waste energy and cause needless damage to our environment. We are delighted that B&Q has decided to stop selling these products. But the Government must now act and ban patio heaters. It’s time to get tough on tackling climate change.”

The Energy Saving Trust has estimated that a propane patio heater with a heat output of 12.5kW will produce around 34.9kg of CO2 before the fuel runs out (after approximately 13 hours). This is equivalent to the energy required to produce approximately 5,200 cups of tea (or 400 cups for every hour of operation)

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