Build your own

The greenest barbecue is cobbled together from materials you already have. You can create something resembling an outdoor oven with a few loose bricks. Fill the middle with charcoal and make sure that you raise it off the ground so you don't end up with a bad back after an evening tending sausages. For the grill, nick one from the kitchen, or even plunder the oven for one of its metal shelves. The result might not look as slick as your neighbour's multiburner gas affair, but you can bask in the warm glow of eco-resourcefulness.

Buy charcoal from sustainably managed forests

For a guarantee, look for the logo of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Its certification system ensures that the ecological integrity of the forest is maintained. According to Friends of the Earth, 40 per cent of charcoal we use has been linked to deforestation in the Tropics. Go for lump charcoal rather than the cheapie charcoal briquettes, which may have undergone chemical processing and contain unwholesome coal dust and sodium nitrate.

Choose homegrown charcoal

Of the 50,000 tonnes of charcoal consumed annually in the UK, 90 per cent comes from abroad. Not only does this increase the chance that tropical rainforests have been cut down, but it involves extra emissions from transport. Several companies sell homegrown, FSC- certified charcoal. The best known is BioRegional (bioregional.com), which is available at B&Q, Sainsbury's and Tesco, about £6 for a 3kg bag. Or try graigfarm.co.uk or dorsetcharcoal.co.uk

Too much gas

Rumours that gas is the greenest option ignore the fact that it is a non-renewable fossil fuel, of which supply is not guaranteed, and that the latest outdoor cooking models are energy-greedy. Take Anthony Worrall Thompson's Signature Gas Barbecue (£349; patiogear.co.uk ), from the same chef who introduced a line of green cleaning products, called Clean and Green, last year. With its electronic ignition, heat plates, storage racks, not to mention the four gas burners that allow you to roast as well as grill, it is a barbecue- baddie. It's true that gas burns more cleanly than charcoal, but its carbon footprint is greater. Proper charcoal is carbon-neutral, so it puts back into the atmosphere the CO2 that the tree absorbed during its life.

Don't use firelighters

Not only has there been concern that chemicals from firelighters may leak on to your food if you don't leave long enough between lighting the barbecue and loading it with grub, but also, with proper lump charcoal, you shouldn't need this smelly and expensive addition. Light up with crumpled sheets of newspaper, ripped up old bank statements, or dry twigs from the garden. Neglect at the early stages is the only thing that might result in failure, so grab a cold beer and settle down in the garden.

Resist throwaway foil barbecues

It's tempting on a warm evening to buy a couple of disposable barbecues and trot down to your local park, but it will quickly put you out of pocket should you get a taste for flamed-licked food and you'll end up with a load of aluminium foil. In theory, this should be recyclable but most local authorities refuse to take it, probably because few people can be bothered to separate foil from ash and burnt food. Much better to invest in a good-value, lightweight affair that can be reused. Try the Portable Barbecue Bucket (crocus.co.uk; £19.99), pictured.

Avoiding packaging

Don't be won over by bargain packs of barbecue-friendly meat. As well as containing low-grade factory-farmed meat, they tend to be overpackaged to detract from poor ingredients. Instead, use the same good-quality meat you normally buy. For barbecue flavours, you can always make your own marinades (see mackerel recipe, above). Sticking with proper crockery and cutlery rather than disposable versions might not make you popular with the washer-uper, but the food will taste better and you'll avoid overflowing bins. It's a mucky business eating outdoors, so one throwaway item you might consider providing is paper napkins - made from recycled paper, of course (vegware.co.uk; £1.70 for a pack of 100).

Anna Shepard's book, How Green Are My Wellies? is out now (Eden Project Books, £14.99)

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