By Michelle Metzler
For the Reporter

Summer is in the air.

There’s that smoky, sweet scent of brown sugar bourbon chicken wafting from the grill next door. Or maybe it’s the fruity aroma of sizzling pineapple as the cinnamon-honey glaze bubbles and caramelizes.

Even if the menu calls for hot dogs and s’mores, it’s time to get your grill on.

It’s also time to make sure your barbecue plan includes cooling and wetting down coals after the meal.

If you don’t, your coals could start a fire – in your garbage cart, in the Waste Management truck that collects your garbage, or even down the road at the transfer station or landfill.

The challenge with barbecuing is that coals and ashes appear cool, but they actually stay hot for days after the meal is over. When disposed of improperly, your coals can create fire risk for your family, your neighbors and your local Waste Management drivers.

And it happens often. Many times throughout the warm weather months, Waste Management drivers have to make emergency stops to empty their trucks and fight fires caused by hot coals put in carts.

Drivers even come across carts that have melted to the ground because of carelessly handled ashes or coals, and local firefighters frequently respond to fires in garbage and even recycling containers.

You heard that right: Sometimes people put barbecue coals and ashes in their recycling carts. Not a good idea!

Even if the coals have cooled, putting coals or ashes in your recycling or yard debris cart means all of the contents of the cart go to the landfill because everything gets contaminated.

So as you embrace all that is fun and delicious about summer, Waste Management urges you to add safety to you backyard barbecue plan, to protect yourself and our community.

Safety tips for barbecue coals and ashes

• Let coals and ashes cool several days in the grill or fireplace before handling.

• After several days, transfer them to a metal container and wet them down. Keep the container outside and away from combustibles.

• Do not use galvanized containers, as hot coals will release noxious fumes in contact with galvanized metal.

• Do not place other combustibles in the container.

• Once coals and ashes are completely cool, put them in your garbage cart or bring them to a transfer station or landfill.

• Never put coals or ashes in recycling or yard debris carts.

If you ever have questions about reducing waste or recycling, Waste Management is here to help. Just shoot us an email at recyclenw@wm.com or give us a call at 800-592-9995.

Here’s to a summer of safe (and delicious) grilling.

Michelle Metzler is the Education & Outreach coordinator for Waste Management.