Summer is the perfect time to fire up the grill and enjoy a delicious BBQ with friends and family. However, throwing a barbeque party can have an impact on the environment.
From sourcing local food to plating up on eco-friendly serving ware, our guide to good eco-friendly BBQ practices will show you how to minimize waste and reduce your carbon footprint, while still enjoying a fantastic outdoor feast.
Environmentally friendly BBQ ideas
Source your food locally
Buying food from local farmers' markets and farms is a great way to support the local economy.
When choosing ingredients, opt for organic, sustainable, and ethically sourced options. This reduces carbon emissions from transportation, and ensures ingredients are produced in a responsible manner. They’re also likely to be fresher.
You could also offer plant-based or vegetarian options at your event, which can significantly decrease the carbon footprint associated with meat production.
In addition, if you pick vegetables that are in season, it’s likely fewer chemicals and other resources will have been required to aid growth.
If you’re able, or the volume of guests requires it, buy in bulk, and bring your own containers to cut down on any packaging for loose items.
Avoid disposable BBQs
Reusable solar-powered grills or even electric grills are more environmentally friendly than cheap disposable ones as they don’t result in excessive non-recyclable waste.
They offer a unique and efficient way to cook food, which is safe, portable, reusable and doesn’t result in bulk waste for landfill.
Keep a lid on the grill
Using a grill lid while barbecuing helps retain heat, reduces cooking time, and saves energy. It's also important to choose eco-friendly and sustainable grilling fuel, such as natural charcoal or hardwood pellets.
Some natural charcoal barbeque briquettes are made from sugarcane bagasse or fibrous materials derived from sugarcane plants, which are low in ash and toxins, as well as other renewable resources.
Use eco-friendly tableware
When it comes to hosting an eco-friendly BBQ, sustainable and environmentally friendly disposable tableware is a key consideration. Opt for biodegradable or compostable plates, cups, and utensils made from materials like palm leaf or sugarcane bagasse.
Bagasse is leftover pulp from sugarcane sap extraction. It's essentially an agricultural waste product generated by sugarcane harvesting.
In addition to being durable and compostable, it’s also a sustainable material; no deforestation or harmful land clearance is required to produce it. It’s also completely food safe: no chemicals or microplastics are involved.
Shaped into sturdy plates and bowls, bagasse dinnerware is both fridge-friendly and microwave-safe. Sugarcane bagasse plates are also perfect for holding all types of BBQ foods: from sticky chicken wings to deliciously crunchy coleslaw.
When you’re done, there’s no need to worry about washing up. Simply dispose of the used plates in your home compost, where they will biodegrade naturally.
Ask guests to bring their own reusable water bottles and provide water stations instead of individual plastic bottles. Offer bamboo or wheat straws as an option for consuming beverages. These provide an elegant solution, which won’t result in excess plastic waste.
Round off your eco-friendly BBQ with some compostable wooden cutlery. Birchwood eating utensils are a compostable and sustainable alternative to plastic disposable cutlery. They are hard wearing, completely food safe, and reduce the dependence on non-recyclable plastics.
Only cook what you will eat
Minimize excess uneaten food by cooking only the necessary amount of food for you and your guests. It’s easy to get excited and just throw everything on the grill at once! A little planning can go a long way in ensuring that you avoid wasting food.
If there is a little extra, you
could use it to create kebabs on wooden
skewers. Alternatively, allow guests to take leftovers home in a biodegradable takeaway box or compost any food scraps.
Plan your next BBQ with FOOGO green
Need the perfect eco-friendly tableware and accessories for your BBQ? At FOOGO green, we supply a range of disposable, biodegradable, and sustainably sourced catering utensils including plates, bowls, and serving trays which can be reused or composted after use.
Our tableware is manufactured using palm leaf or sugarcane bagasse – materials that are practical, hard-wearing, eco-friendly, and yet result in products that are incredibly pleasing to the eye and which outperform disposable paper plates every time.
These can be complimented with our selection of birchwood cutlery and other accessories, including biodegradable drinking straws and bamboo skewers – perfect for grilling kebabs.
If composting the cutlery and skewers afterwards seems inconvenient, not to worry – you can always burn them as fuel in the barbecue, along with your charcoal briquettes.
If you’re looking to cater for many guests, our disposable party supplies are an excellent option. We also offer sample packs if you want to trial our high-quality products before committing to a larger purchase.