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It’s almost summertime, which means soon people will start breaking out their bbq grills & having outdoor parties. These events can create a lot of waste, but there are some easy things you can do to reduce the waste produced. I’m going to give you 5 tips for how to have a sustainable bbq this summer.
1. Use real silverware
If you’re like me, you hate doing dishes. I totally get that, but using real silverware instead of plastic utensils is one of the easiest ways to reduce waste at a bbq.
You don’t need to use fancy silverware. Plus, it’s easy to just throw it in the dishwasher at the end of the party. You can probably find some mismatched silverware at a thrift store, on eBay, or somewhere similar for a low price. Set them out in some cups or boxes divided into forks, knives, and spoons and people can grab and go.
I think your guests will appreciate getting to use real utensils (we’ve all had a plastic utensil break on us, right?). Maybe they’ll enjoy it so much they’ll offer to help with the dishes!
If you don’t have a dishwasher, then you’ll get no judgment from me if you don’t want to hand-wash all that silverware. If you’ve given any of your guests a travel silverware set, you could always tell them to bring it along!
2. Use real plates, bowls, cups, etc.
If you’re already going to be throwing silverware in the dishwasher, you might as well use real plates, cups, and bowls instead of paper or plastic. They don’t have to all match, or be gorgeous and perfect. It’s a bbq for heaven’s sake! No one will expect everything to be matching and perfect (and if they do, do you really want to invite them?).
Again, if you don’t have a dishwasher, I’m not going to be sitting in judgment if you use paper plates. Doing dishes by hand is one of my least-favorite things to do.
3. BYO Leftover Containers
If you like to send people home with leftovers, & use ziplocs so you don’t have to worry about getting your nice containers back, tell people to bring their own containers with them. It’s pretty much like a BYOB, except with tupperware!
This seems like a win-win to me. You don’t have to use something disposable to send leftovers home with people, or worry about getting any containers back. Your guests don’t have to worry about getting your containers back to you & can bring a container they know won’t spill in the car.
4. Use Stashers for marinating
Invest in a few large Stashers (or other reusable ziploc) to marinate meat in, if you normally use a ziploc. Maybe you already marinate in a washable container of some sort, good for you!
My dad has a thing about only marinating meat in gallon ziplocs. I cannot seem to break him of this, no matter what I try. You might have better luck with the meat-marinater in your life!
Stashers are great for so many things other than marinating meat, and are worth the investment.
5. Use bowl covers instead of plastic wrap
If you need to cover up a side dish, or leftovers, use some bowl covers instead of plastic wrap. Bowl covers come in all kinds of sizes, can be machine-washed, and lock in moisture just as well as plastic wrap. I’ve never had an issue with odors in the fridge using bowl covers, in case that’s a concern you have.
I LOVE my bowl covers. As I’ve mentioned a few times in this post, and many others on the site, I HATE DOING DISHES. I use bowl covers for leftovers constantly so I don’t dirty up another dish. Mine came from Marley’s Monsters, and they were so worth it.
I hope this post has given you some ideas for how to have a sustainable bbq! Let me know in the comments if you have other ideas I didn’t mention. Happy grilling!
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