Rubbish, waste and recycling

Eco-friendly barbecue

With summer upon us, it is prime time to get the barbecue out and spend a lazy summer afternoon with friends and family. But although barbecue food such as meats and salads can be a calorie-saving option, excess cans and bottles and extra packaging do not make it an environment-saving activity.

A few simple tips can help your barbecue become environmentally friendly:

• confirm how many people you are catering for in advance so you avoid food and packaging wastage
• buy your fruit and vegetables loose and not pre-packaged
• invest in a barbecue you can re-use instead of a disposable one
• after a full day of eating and drinking take your bottles and cans with you and recycle them
• keep fruit and vegetable peelings to put in a home compost bin to help your garden grow greener