Zero Waste: neighborhood BBQ

by Hilda Scheenstra · September 24, 2019

You cannot foresee and prepare everything. How do you deal with zero waste in case of unexpected events, like, in my case, a neighborhood BBQ?

The neighborhood BBQ

For a Zero Waste life looking ahead and planning is very important I have experienced, especially when shopping and cooking food. But of course unexpected events come along during such a month. In this case the neighborhood BBQ. I had not anticipated this before the start of our challenge, but luckily it was announced in time. But still you tend to fall into old habits.

Let me think for a moment

My youngest daughter and I eat (as much as possible) vegetarian. So first I contacted my neighbor to tell her we will arange our own “meat”. And in the back of my mind I note that in at that time I will have to buy vega snacks. A few days later a recipe for courgette burgers arrives via a newsletter. There are currently plenty of courgettes, after which I suddenly realize that we are working on a zero waste challenge! Why buying vega snacks and thereby produce (plastic) waste. Of course, I can easily make Vegaburgers myself, just like vegetarian skewers with vegetables (and halloumi cheese).

One step further

Then you start thinking even further. At the BBQ it is also the intention that everyone brings their own drinks, well that should work, also Zero Waste. Then I think that we also just bring our own plates, cups and (bamboo) cutlery. And so we come through this BBQ Zero Waste, mission completed!

Lessons learned

For me a nice lesson that I wanted to share with you. In case of an unexpected event, do not immediately panic or fall back to your “old” mode, but take a moment to breathe. Then think very hard: “Zero Waste!” and think about what you could do to get through this event zero waste. Think in possibilities! Also be flexible, both in coming up with a zero waste solution and in accepting a perrhaps not so zero waste event. Let’s just have fun!