There's almost nothing as full of fun as a summer barbecue. The sun is shining and the breeze is blowing through the trees. You're surrounded by family and friends (and, if you're lucky, maybe that hot guy or girl you've been internet dating for awhile?). The smell of great food is floating on the air. A backyard barbecue is a little bit of heaven, and is something most of us look forward to all year.
But that lovely summer barbecue can also wreak havoc on the environment. The very act of buying, cooking, and serving all that food creates mounds of trash and more CO2 emissions that you can probably imagine. Fortunately, though, there are ways to host a barbecue without making the planet suffer in the process. Want to have a greener summer? Read on for ways to green up your barbecue.
Lose the charcoal.
The smell of charcoal on the air is a symbol of the backyard barbecue. But that same thing that fills your steaks and burgers with smoky flavor (and gets you drooling at just one sniff) is also one of the worst things for the environment. In fact, using a charcoal grill is three times worse on the environment than using a propane powered grill. Why? Because charcoal is less efficient both in its production (it's created, after all, by burning wood) and in its use for cooking food. Gas grills are not only much gentler on the environment, they're also easier and safer to use.
Can't give up your charcoal grill? Then go for natural lump charcoal instead of manufactured briquettes.
Offer plenty of vegetarian options.
One of the most environmentally harmful parts of that barbecue you're hosting? The meat you just slapped onto the grill. All meat, but beef in particular, is one of the largest contributors to CO2 emissions in the world. Since you're putting together the menu, you get to decide how much meat to serve. And if you offer lots of wonderful veggie options in place of some of the traditional burger and steak fare, your guests will be ecstatic to eat what you have on offer.
Eat seasonal and local.
Summer is the best time of year to be eating fresh fruits and vegetables-- and chances are plenty of it grows close to home. When it comes time to stock up for your barbecue, try to shop at farmer's market or direct from the farm. You'll have a far smaller impact on the environment, and your produce will taste a heck of a lot better, too. As a bonus, when plenty of wonderful, seasonal fruit and vegetable dishes are offered, people will be that much more likely to opt for vegetarian --and therefore more environmentally healthy-- dishes.
Use real plates-- or recycle.
One of the biggest environmental factors of your backyard barbecue is all those disposable plates, cups, and cutlery. If you're having a small barbecue, there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to use your own plates and cutlery (especially if they're plastic rather than glass). Hosting a larger party? Then buy environmentally sound or at the very least recyclable plates, cups, and cutlery. Then set out two waste containers for your guests to use: one for food, the other for recyclables.
Marinate and grill up some veggies.
The grill will always be the focus of your barbecue-- and people will want to eat anything that comes off of it. So buy plenty of fresh veggies, soak them in a marinade, and cook 'em up on the grill. People won't be able to resist them when they come off the gill hot and slightly blackened from the flames... and the more veggies they eat, the less environment-damaging meat they'll consume. Oh, and you'll save some money on a large butcher's bill, too.
Use that residual heat.
After you're finished cooking, your grill will stay hot for a long time afterwards. Feel like having warm apple pie to finish off a big meal? Don't waste energy heating up the oven. Place any desserts you want warmed on the rack of the grill, then close the top. When you're ready for dessert, it'll be warm and ready to eat. All you'll need to do is add ice cream
