Stop Food Waste at Your Next Picnic or BBQ

Rebecca Wilson, passionate about recycling across South Yorkshire
Rebecca Wilson
19 Jul 2024

As summer rolls in, nothing beats a sunny day spent outdoors with a picnic or BBQ with friends and family. These gatherings can lead to a lot of food waste. Fortunately, with a bit of planning and mindfulness, you can have all the fun while minimising waste. Here's how to get started:

Meat and vegetable kebabs on a barbecue

Top food waste reduction tips if you are hosting a BBQ or going on a picnic:

  1. Make a meal plan. Make a note of how many people are attending. Use a portion planner – this one from Love Food Hate Waste is very handy! 

  2. Coordinate with friends and family. This way you can have a variety of foods and avoid anyone bringing any duplicates!

  3. Write a shopping list. This will help you only pick up what you need and prevent overbuying.

  4. Buy loose if you can. This way you only buy what you need – and reduce plastic waste too

  5. Keep it cool. Keep things like salads, coleslaw, and other sides in the fridge as long as possible at BBQ and return them when finished. If you are out for a picnic, use a cool bag and ice packs to keep your food cool.

  6. Freeze what you don’t use. Keep one pack or two of each food item in the fridge and freeze the rest. This way, you won’t cook more than you need and anything you don’t get round to using will stay safely frozen for another time.

 

Preventing food waste at your next picnic or BBQ will not only help prevent food waste, but it will also save you money and help the planet too!

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