Green Grilling!! July is prime time month for grilling out with friends and family. Make sure you consciously are making good food and a better earth! Below are some alternatives to turn grilling sustainable.
1- Cool Fuel If you usually: Use charcoal briquettes and lighter fluid.
You could try: A gas grill, or hardwood lump charcoal started with a chimney device. This low-tech method gives off a LOT less CO2 and other chemicals, and it's a great use for old newspapers. Also, commercial charcoal briquettes are steeped with potentially cancer-causing chemicals, and burn at temperatures high enough to promote carcinogenic charring on food. Stick with natural hardwood lump charcoal that burns at lower temperatures.
2- Crowd Control If you usually: Send out paper invites and/or tell people to just show up.
You could try: Sending out an online e-vite, and asking people to RSVP. Create a shopping list to feed the exact number of people you're expecting. You'll save cash while you're minimizing waste.3- So Appealing If you usually: Toss veggie peels, corn husks, etc. in the trash.
You could try: Composting them. It's easier than you think, it's great for your garden, and it's an easy way to get your kids involved in saving their planet. Visit epa.gov/compost or your community garden to learn how you can turn kitchen and yard scraps into earth-first fertilizer, while reducing the 24 percent of the bulk they'd make in the nation's landfills.
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4- Can You Dig It? If you usually: Buy pre-packaged, chemically treated vegetables.
You could try: Buying them loose, visiting a local farmers market or co-op, or growing your own. You could even use that compost you've been making! If you do go the pre-packaged route, gently scrub the outsides with a little bit of baking soda and water to remove any preservatives or pesticides. Visit localharvest.org to find out what's growing near you.5- Deep Dish If you usually: Use plastic utensils, and paper or plastic plates -- which then get tossed out and don't break down.
You could try: Using metal utensils and ceramic plates and taking your guests up on their offer to wash them in the sink. Also consider exploring various brands of bamboo and corn-based biodegradable utensils (we love Biocorp's offerings) and recycled fiber paper plates like Chinet's Casuals.
6- What's Your Line? If you usually: Use a disposable plastic tablecloth and paper napkins.
You could try: Using a cloth tablecloth, blanket or sheet, and cloth napkins or wash cloths. Toss them in the washer on the cold setting with the rest of the linens and an eco-friendly detergent, and line dry. It might be a little extra work, but you'll have the most stylish cook-out in town!
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7- In The Drink If you usually: Serve individual cans and bottles of juice, tea and soft drinks, and then throw out the containers.
You could try: Recycling any cans or bottles, making pitchers of drinks, or buying family-size bottles (which you then recycle). If you're toting a cooler, bring fruit juice ice cubes or frozen fruit to use as non-diluting drink chillers.8- This Little Light of Mine If you usually: Light the backyard with electric lights or tiki torches.
You could try: Using solar lights, lower-impact stearin candles, or bug-deterring soy wax candles. Less CO2 output now means more nights under the clear, starry skies for generations to come.
9- Clean Up Your Act If you usually: Rely on harsh cleaners to scrub the grill, containers and utensils.
You could try: Scraping the grill while it's still hot so it's clean for next time. Pre-grilling, clean the grate with baking soda paste and a wire brush. A cleaner surface makes for safer, tastier food.
