Are you passionate about barbecuing or grilling during the warm summer months? Do you enjoy the idea of being eco-friendly, but aren’t sure how to combine your love for the green life with your zeal for great tasting, barbecued foods? Look no further—we have the guide to barbecuing and grilling the green way.
Mix some veggies into that barbecue mix.
While you and your guests may be expecting to cook up some traditional barbecue foods, such as ribs, steaks, burgers, or hotdogs, be aware that there are green alternatives to add in. First and foremost, try to purchase organic, grass-fed meats from farms where only organic and sustainable practices are used when raising livestock. Also, add some fruit and vegetables skewers to the menu as an eco-friendly side dish. Before grilling them, marinate the fruits and vegetable skewers in a variety of different organic marinades for variety.
Grill or barbecue responsibly.
Ideally speaking, you have a solar-powered oven or a hybrid grill perched on your patio ready for that gathering you’re about to have. If you’re less eco-friendly in the grill department, choose a grill made of cast iron or stainless steel. Cast iron and stainless steel grills are non-toxic at all temperatures, keeping your food safe and sustainable. Typically like the smoky, wood chip flavor? We have a green option for that! Purchase and use the sustainable alternative: bamboo charcoal. Regular charcoal gives off a significant amount of carbon monoxide, but bamboo charcoal has several good properties—it gives off a good flavor, has a high mineral content, and absorbs harmful substances in its surroundings. Also, when grilling, make the environmentally-cautious choice to use lighter fluids sparingly to reduce contaminants and VOC emissions.
Drink eco-friendly or locally-brewed beverages.
What’s a barbeque without a good beer in hand? While you may have your favorites when it comes to the beverages, it might be time to try something sustainable and new. There are a large variety of eco-friendly beers brewed daily that taste just as good and are created by companies that (The Daily Green has the scoop on environmentally-friendly, organic beers and the green-conscious companies that create them!). Not ready to make the leap to going green in your beer choices? At least make an environmentally-conscious decision to choose a beer brewed at a local brewery. The more local the beer, the less carbon emissions made getting that beer to you!
Buy local whenever possible.
No matter what else you do at your gathering, do as much of your purchasing as possible buying locally grown and produced goods, preferably the organic or sustainable kinds. Buying local means less carbon emissions with less travel required for shipment, and frequenting local businesses promotes the local economy.
Reduce, reuse, recycle!
Use sustainable goods at your party, including biodegradable paper plates, cups, eating utensils, toilet paper, paper towel, and more. In addition, stock up on biodegradable, eco-friendly dish soap for your dish washing needs, biodegradable hand soap for the bathrooms, and biodegradable trash bags for clean up purposes. Livestrong.com has a full list of sustainable, biodegradable materials that can be purchased to make your home or event a little more eco-friendly. Have recycling containers labeled and ready for recycling cans, paper and cardboard, bottles, plastics, and food scraps—if the containers are there and at the ready, people will separate out their trash! Decorate your party with reusable cloth tablecloths, centerpieces of organic or locally-grown flowers, and all-natural candles. For more ideas, check out the green decorating tips at the website Green Your.
