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Replace charcoal with eco-friendlier briquettes

Why This is Green

If you love charcoal grilling because it produces the best flavor, you’re not alone. It is tasty! But it’s not environmentally-friendly. Conventional charcoal briquettes may contain residues of coal dust and other things you certainly don’t want to be releasing into the air (soot, carbon monoxide) or onto your dinner. Easy light lumps have been soaked in lighter fluid which gives off unsafe VOCs when burning. You know the smell. Lighter fluid is best avoided; it contributes to the formation of ground-level ozone.

There are more natural alternatives on the market these days—a far better option. Use a chimney starter, never lighter fluid, to get them going. That said, there is no such thing as 100 percent eco-friendly briquettes or lump charcoal; burning either of them pollutes the air. And producing hardwood briquettes leads to deforestation and global warming.

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How To

If you’re not prepared to give up charcoal in favor of a gas grill or even a solar oven, seek out alternatives being marketed as eco-friendly. The most trustworthy versions will have been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or stamped Rainforest Alliance SmartWood. There are also versions made from plant materials—a renewable resource.

Sometimes the eco-briquettes aren’t easily found at the mom and pop store on a beach vacation. Your best option in these situations is to look for wood that might not be FSC-certified. Most big box stores carry versions. Or pack your own before you leave!