Summer is one of the busiest times of the year for the waste collection services. As the weather gets warmer and the nights become lighter we all like to spend more time outdoors, frequently entertaining and dining in the garden.

Having a barbecue? The most important thing to remember is to plan. Our unpredictable British weather often leads to barbecues being hurriedly arranged at the last minute. This can lead to panic buying and over shopping. Take five minutes to think about what you really need.

Here a few more simple tips can make your barbecue one to remember and also help the environment.

• Try and confirm how many people you are catering for so you only buy what you need
• Make a shopping list. Pick a few of your favourite BBQ recipes - marinades, salads, main courses or desserts - and make sure you include any special ingredients on your list. It saves a second trip to the shops if you've forgotten something and also avoids waste, as you'll only buy what you need
• Buy your fruit and vegetables loose and not pre-packed and look for other BBQ goodies with less packaging. This is good for your pocket as you are buying what you really need and means there is less packaging in your bin. You also get to choose the best items
• Buy freezer packs of bread rolls so you can save and reuse what you don't need
• Limit the number of throwaway products - buy a barbeque you can reuse instead of disposable ones
• Use your own cutlery and crockery rather than paper plates and plastic knives and forks and why not use a glass hire service from a local off-licence/shop instead of plastic cups - there'll be less to go in your bin
• Put a recycling container next to the cool box to collect empty drinks cans and bottles - use one each for cans and bottles, and your guests can do the sorting for you. It will make recycling easier
• Keep meat in the fridge and only bring out food to be cooked when needed. You can freeze what you don't cook and avoid throwing away too much unused food if you bring it all out at once
• Avoid putting out large quantities of perishable food - bread, salads and fruit. In an average week, three out of five people throw away a bag of salad and a loaf of bread. Use smaller serving dishes and top them up
• Keep any fruit and vegetable peelings, and uncooked leftover food e.g. salads, but not meat or dairy products, and put in a home compost bin - a third of what you throw away could easily be transformed into compost to make your garden bloom