This is what I (don't) put on the barbecue: Environmentally friendly barbecuing
This is what I (don't) put on the barbecue: Environmentally friendly barbecuing

This is what I (don't) put on the barbecue: Environmentally friendly barbecuing

Summertime is barbecue time. We can't wait to finally sit down with friends on warm summer evenings and barbecue together again. Do you feel the same way? As you can imagine, barbecuing is not exactly the best thing you can do for our environment. But no barbecue is not an option either, we think. The good news is that you can easily make your barbecue more environmentally friendly. Barbecue, barbecue accessories, barbecue food, barbecue cleaning - we've taken a close look at the whole package and found the option that's the greenest and healthiest. You don't want to limit yourself when barbecuing and the only true barbecue for you is on charcoal? You can make that more environmentally friendly too!

Charcoal grill, electric grill or gas grill? Which grill should you buy?

When choosing a barbecue, there are many options on the market. You should definitely avoid disposable barbecues! They are made of aluminium and cause waste. This makes them by far the worst option. You rarely barbecue or prefer to barbecue outside and don't want to buy a barbecue that takes up a lot of space in the garden or on the balcony or in the storeroom? There are also practical barbecues for on the go! This way you avoid waste and can also barbecue spontaneously, as you always have a barbecue at home. You can also share a barbecue with your neighbours!

Environmentally friendly barbecue: Charcoal grill or gas grill

Charcoal grill

For you, grilling on charcoal grills is the only true grilling? In terms of the environment and health, there are far better alternatives, as you can imagine. However, if there is no alternative for you, pay attention to the origin of the charcoal. Often, charcoal comes from tropical forests, where it drives deforestation and threatens animal and plant species. And then there are the long transport routes. Instead, choose charcoal from native deciduous forests. On many charcoal packages you will find a note that no tropical wood was used. Unfortunately, it is difficult to check the real origin. The FSC or Naturland seal, which stand for sustainable forestry, can be helpful. There are also numerous "climate-friendly" charcoal variants available on the market, such as barbecue charcoal made from olive stones, coconut shells or bamboo. However, the entire life cycle should also be considered here. How are the raw materials grown, what is their origin, how are they transported? The raw materials for briquettes made from coconut shells, for example, are grown in Indonesia, among other places. Besides the long transport, forests are cut down to make room for plantations. In this case, the "climate-friendly" option no longer has anything to do with climate protection.

Besides the charcoal, smoke is a problem. This can be kept to a minimum with a lighting chimney and good air supply. This not only reduces air pollution, but is also good for the respiratory system of everyone present.

Gas barbecue

With a gas barbecue, significantly less CO² is released than with a charcoal barbecue. The desired temperature is reached more quickly and the grill can be switched off, so it only consumes as much energy as necessary.

Solar grill & electric grill

The solar grill or the electric grill are the best choice for the environment. It is best if you also supply your electric barbecue with green electricity. It's also practical that you don't have to buy charcoal, you can barbecue on the balcony and you don't have to dispose of ashes afterwards. The overall effort is therefore significantly less than with a charcoal barbecue.

Environmentally friendly barbecue accessories

You should avoid using chemical barbecue lighters. Instead, you can use split wood, cardboard, branches, sticks or wool. Instead of disposable dishes, use reusable dishes. It is also important to use drip trays for fat. If it drips into the embers, it can cause carcinogenic substances that can also be deposited on the food. Instead of an aluminium grill base, stainless steel or ceramic grill trays or cabbage leaves are suitable. Aluminium can transfer to the food and should therefore not be used!

Barbecue food & barbecue accessories: It all depends on the choice of barbecue food!

What goes on your barbecue? The choice of food

However, the type of barbecue is not as important for the environment as the choice of food. A life cycle assessment study by TÜV Rheinland has shown that 95 per cent of the climate-relevant emissions are caused by the grilled food. Beef and grilled cheese cause the most greenhouse gases. Seasonal vegetables from the region are the most climate-friendly. If you don't want to do without animal products completely, you can simply reduce the proportion of meat a little and put a higher proportion of vegetables on the grill instead. A tasty salad also makes barbecuing more varied and climate-friendly. When shopping, make sure that the products are as regional as possible and also bear the organic seal. By the way, this is also the case for all our Products the case!

After the barbecue

If you barbecue with charcoal, let the ashes cool down afterwards and dispose of them in the residual waste. It is not suitable for the garden or compost because of the pollutants. Do not use chemical cleaning agents when cleaning the barbecue. An ecological cleaning agent can be made quickly and easily from baking soda, salt and citric acid.

Conclusion

It's not so much the type of barbecue that matters, but rather the choice of food! Do you always have meat or grilled cheese on the barbecue or can you go vegan? We think so: Grilling with seasonal vegetables makes it even more varied and balanced. If you don't want to give up meat or grilled cheese, you can perhaps replace some of it with seasonal vegetables. We look forward to many summer barbecues!

A wide selection of balanced and healthy food, for example our delicious Organic spreadsyou will find with us in the Shop.

Creamy organic spreads

Sources: Nabu, WWF, Ökotest, watson, South German Newspaper
Cover photo: Adobe Stock, bernardbodo, #115654542
Image Crickets Topshot: Adobe Stock, Rawpixel.com, #165029510

Image BBQ food: Adobe Stock, montebelli, #42497604

One comment

  1. Steffi Sütterlin

    I like the article very much, if you had some tips for grilling vegetables ? For example, do I have to marinate the vegetables before grilling them....
    Many greetings from Munich

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