Published by Vanessa Brunner under Green Living

Five quick tips to have a greener BBQ

Kenmore's Electric Grill, available through Sears

Lighting up the grill is one of the classic joys of summer, especially in the United States, where we like our meat–and we like a lot of it. But, as pleasing as the sooty scent of grilled burgers can be, it’s become relatively well known that grilling can be toxic for the environment, contributing to smog and producing a massive amount of carbon dioxide.

That’s not to say you have to forget the sweet taste of the grill forever! With a few simple changes you can keep the BBQ lit without ravaging the atmosphere.

1. The biggest debate (and believe me, there is one) about Green Grilling is what kind of fuel should be used. While gas certainly burns cleaner than charcoal, it’s carbon footprint is greater. Somepeople opt for charcoal that is homegrown, or from sustainably managed forests (Try looking here). Another option is the use of an electric grill, which releases 99% less carbon monoxide, and 91% carbon dioxide than charcoal, and is truly green when your home gets its electricity from a renewable resource.

Lower carbon with TerraCycle Firestarters

-Another, less mentioned option is to simply make your own BBQ in your backyard with materials you already have. While it may not be as green as an electric grill, if you don’t have a BBQ, it’s a pretty good option.  A few bricks, stones, and a kitchen grill are really all that’s needed.

2. Avoid the use of lighter fluid. It may be faster, but there’s always a risk that the chemicals from the fluid may be seeping into your food. If you choose to use charcoal, lighter fluid shouldn’t be necessary with the right kind. Scrap paper, random bits of wood from your backyard, and a lot of patience are all that’s needed to get a successful grill going.

If you’re lacking on the patience end of things, try looking for an eco-friendly firestarter.

Many grocery stores provide organic / local

3. Make sure that what you’re putting on the grill is good for the environment too. Buy organic meat and vegetables, preferably local. It’ll ease your eco-conscious, and the freshness and quality will make a huge difference in your food.  Also, avoid anything with too much packaging. It’s easy to get sucked into a mega pack of chicken thighs, but do you really need those 5 extra pieces?

4. As always, use re-useable utensils and dishes.

If you really can’t bear the thought of doing dishes, you can always spring for a few biodegradable dish sets: The Biodegradable Store

SoyClean Grill Cleaner has a base of soybean oil, making it safe for the environment, and you!

5. Your clean up should be as green as your set up. There are a lot of environmentally safe cleaning products on the market, but scrubbing your grill with baking soda and water does just as good of a job (and won’t cost you an additional $10). But, if you want to spring for a cleaner to do the dirty work for you, look for something with a natural base ingredient.