Summer Grilling - Celadon Road's Green Tip of the Month

Green Tip of the Month
Backyard BBQs


 If your version of a good barbeque consists of a smoking charcoal grill, picnic tables strewn with plastic wrap, paper plates and cups, and trash cans overflowing, this list is for you. 

Whether you're grilling pork ribs, or breaking out the veggie burgers, we've put together some barbeque tips that will help you green your grill time.

 

Top Green Barbecue Tips

1. Make a Plan.  Tally up the guest list before going to the grocery store so you don’t overbuy or leave leftovers that will go to waste. Send email invitations rather than paper.  If it is potluck, be specific so you won't end up with five varieties of pasta salad that nobody eats.
2. Greener Serving.  Not using disposables is one the greenest things you can do. Instead, opt for bamboo servingware or utensils, reusable plates, cups, and traditional cutlery, or reusable plastic options. If you cannot part with the idea of disposables, look for unbleached recycled-paper or compostable products.
3. Consider the Meat.  Consider serving a little less meat and bulking up on fruits and vegetable dishes. Not only is this healthier, it is the biggest way to decrease the environmental impact of your BBQ. It takes 1,916 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef, and cattle produce enormous amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas that's almost 20 times more harmful than carbon dioxide. For the meat you do serve, choose organic and grass-fed selections. Organic and grass fed meat is leaner than traditional meat, and requires a little bit of extra love in order to maintain its moisture when grilling. To address this issue: marinate your meat before grilling, and continue to baste it while over the grill; for hamburgers, add in caramelized onions and other moisturizing ingredients; cook the meat at a lower temperature or simply cook the meat for less time.
4. Choose Local and Seasonal Produce.  Local produce typically means fewer chemicals were used to grow and preserve foods, and since it doesn't have to travel long distances, less energy is consumed in transporting them.
5. Beverages.  Instead of filing your coolers with ice and 50 cans of your favorite beverages, choose bulk sizes of drinks, or make your own. Sun tea and fresh lemonade are easy to make and better than store-bought varieties. In addition to cutting down on your carbon footprint local, seasonal, small-batch brews are delicious.
6. Choose Your Grill Carefully.  From a carbon usage standpoint, gas grills are best because natural gas and propane burn cleaner and leave behind less waste than charcoal grills. Charcoal may give your burgers that old-time taste, but the matter from burning the briquettes contains carbon monoxide and other VOCs. If you do use coal, choose all-natural lump varieties, which eliminate the additives contained in briquettes.
7. Get your Grill On Grilling with the hood of the barbecue down not only helps maintain energy efficiency, but also ensures the heat will be distributed more evenly throughout the grill.
8. Clean Up! Put all your leftovers in reusable containers, recyclables in your bin, compostables in your compost.
9. Maintain Your Grill.  Instead of chemical based cleaners, use natural alternatives like Celadon Road’s Degreaser or All Room Cleanser.

Now your guests will leave happy, full from your delicious healthy food, and hopefully they all walk or bike home to save gas!

 

This is only one of the great tips included in the monthly Celadon Road Purely Speaking newsletter. This one is from June. Email me to join my mailing list to get July's newsletter!