Cooking Outside in the Summer Time? Green It Up.

Earlier this month, my family helped organize a block party bringing more than 100 neighbors together for a fun-filled evening. Because the event was intended to create connections that build community, I wanted to try out strategies that would spare our community any added pollution and waste. What follows is a brief guide based on our first try at a more environmental neighborhood BBQ.

Pick an Accessible Location.

Our location was determined by our street, which is accessible by multiple lines of public transportation, biking and walking. We planned the date a few weeks in advance and worked with the city's public works department to close the street to cars for the duration.

Because the event was tailored to local participants, the majority of guests did not drive. But if your event is not accessible by public transit, biking or walking, encourage carpooling to lessen environmental impact.

Know Your Fuel.

A stunning 82% of households own a grill or smoker and nearly one quarter of all households own two.

In the early 2000s, Oak Ridge Laboratory estimated that a charcoal grill emits 11 pounds of carbon dioxide hourly. A gas grill emits half as much, at 5.6 pounds.

But carbon dioxide emissions are not the only environmental concern. There’s also how the fuel is produced, its additives and disposal, as well as other harmful pollutants involved in the grilling process. For example, grilling with standard charcoal briquettes will generate soot or particulate matter, a harmful pollutant that exacerbates asthma and other respiratory illnesses. The lighter fluid used with charcoal also emits volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a contributor to ground-level ozone. It is possible to lower these impacts if you choose to use eco-friendly charcoal without lighter fluid.

At our event we went with a gas grill. While we recognize that gas is not a renewable resource, we felt it was the best option given our environmental and health priorities. Latest reports indicate that more consumers are similarly choosing to cook with gas; more than half of all grill sales use gas fuel.

Choose Foods That Taste Great and Respect the Environment.

Meats – specifically hamburger, steak, hotdogs and chicken – top the list of foods that are grilled. A diet that includes meat has environmental consequences. Many meat-free alternatives exist in the spirit of BBQ. One sample menu for a vegan BBQ, including some recipes, is available on PETA’s blog.

If meat is part of your menu, choose humane meats that are hormone-free, grass-fed, organic, local and otherwise prepared with environmental standards that are a fit for your values. At our event we chose to have a mix of meat and meat-free items that were prepared by guests potluck style. The menu was fantastic and we were appreciative of the many delicious choices. Admittedly, there were three, nearly identical three-bean salads. In future BBQ potlucks we will try to avoid this replication by using an online potluck planning tool, such as www.luckypotluck.com.

Be Thoughtful About the Bowls, Plates, Napkins and Flatware.

Let’s just be clear: there is no such thing as truly “disposable.” Switching to re-usable barbeque gear takes some planning and coordination, e.g., someone has to wash the dishes. If so-called disposables are necessary, be thoughtful about choosing those that are compostable, made with recycled content and/or recyclable. At our event we provided a limited number of reusable utensils. We also provided paper plates – which were compostable after use. In addition, the paper cups were recyclable.

To facilitate waste stream management, we set up a sorting station (three trash cans) that were clearly labeled with words and pictures to encourage guests to sort items for trash, compost and recycling. Many participants commented that the signs were important and easy to read. Others commented that it was their first time contributing to a compost.

As part of the clean-up crew, I was able to see the end results and am happy to report success: the large recycling toter was mostly full, complemented by a large bag of compost and a smaller bag of trash. It might seem like a small victory, but diverting what would have been waste into our recycling and composting streams was very fulfilling.

This was our first effort at greening the annual block party. I hope you are similarly able to take steps to mind the environment while celebrating this summer.

Other Sources for Information

Planet Green shares several guides for making greener choices about the types of grills used, the food and drinks prepared, and utensils used.