Going Green : Make your barbecue environment friendly

​Starting with the fuel, a gas barbecue – especially natural gas – is the most environmentally friendly fuel. If you’re using charcoal or wood, make sure it comes from a sustainable source.

Look for the ‘Grown in Britain’ symbol and the Forest Stewardship Council logo.

Next, ditch the disposable ones, barbecuing is a portable pastime for sure, everyone loves a beach barbecue, but the disposable ones aren’t only terrible for the environment, but a lot of them are left on beaches because they’re too hot to dispose of.

You can buy bucket barbecues for as little as £15 or have a look on second hand sites or Facebook marketplace. You could even time share a portable barbecue with some friends or neighbours, so you don’t buy more than you need.

Think about what you’re actually cooking as well as what you’re cooking on too. While they’re traditionally meat fests, barbecued vegetables are delicious, and you can home make bean burgers by blitzing your favourite tinned bean – or a tin of mixed beans – with some herbs, garlic, salt, pepper and breadcrumbs. Shape them into burgers and refrigerate until you cook them.

Making some meat substitutions will go a long way to reducing the carbon footprint of your barbie and it’ll make it a cheaper one too.

Earlier this month, a fire in Cumbria was started by a disposable barbecue and last summer Dorset fires were caused by disposable barbecues too, so wherever you’re firing up, whether it’s at home or on the beach or in a park, make sure you have plenty of water nearby should any sparks end up where they shouldn’t.