From the food you serve to the utensils you use – and of course your braai fuel – here’s how to enjoy a braai with less impact on the environment.
Here at Shisa we take pride in creating a product that is as eco-friendly as possible. But using our briquettes is just one factor in your overall clean green braai experience.
Your braai can only be truly green if everything else is too – from the food you choose, to the plates you eat on, to the tools you cook with. We want to help you make your whole braai eco-friendly, not just the fire.
When doing anything eco-friendly, remember the three Rs: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Here’s how you can put them into practice when planning a braai with friends and family.
REDUCE: Fuel, Food and Waste Choices
If you’re using Shisa Eco-Briquettes, your eco-friendly fire fuel is already covered. They produce 75% less carbon emissions and 80% less waste, so you’re already reducing your impact on the environment.
You can take it a step further by choosing local, seasonal ingredients. While this isn’t directly related to your choice of fuel, it does mean your food has a smaller carbon footprint since it hasn’t travelled as far as imported produce.
Also include more plant-based options like grilled corn and vegetable kebabs as well as organic meat products from sustainable sources. All these choices reduce your event’s environmental impact.
REUSE: Utensils and Tableware
Because it’s not exactly fine dining, we know you’re not going to take out the fine china for a braai. Instead, consider reusable options that are better for the environment and will impress your eco-conscious guests.
Wood or bamboo plates and cutlery are made using organic source materials, look stylish, and can be reused. Other smart tactics are to provide napkins that can be washed and reused instead of paper serviettes, and to serve water in reusable bottles or even pitchers or jugs. Remember that reuse lowers waste, conserves resources, and reduces pollution.
RECYCLE: Composting and Recycle Bins
Many people are already disciplined about simple recycling principles: separating paper, glass, cardboard, and plastic into separate bins. But when organising a braai, you can go beyond this. You could include a compost bin to throw all your biodegradable waste into. Things like fruit and vegetable scraps, as well as paper plates, cups, serviettes, and paper towels if you’re not going the reusable route. Even coffee grounds or tea leaves can go in there.
You might also want to use compostable cutlery made from bamboo or sugarcane, which your guests can toss straight into the bin. You may want to avoid including bones and meat waste. While they’re biodegradable, they take much longer to break down and can create smells that attract pests.
If you want to compost meat and bones as well, you can try a method called bokashi composting. This requires a special airtight bokashi bin, which uses a microorganism infused bran called bokashi to fast track the breaking down process of meat and bones. After a couple of weeks this can be added to your compost heap or mixed into your soil.
Going eco-friendly with your braai needn’t take away from the experience. In fact, it can make it even more enjoyable knowing you’re protecting the planet while enjoying one of our country’s favourite pastimes.
