Ever wonder what to do with the leftovers from Bear Mountain products? Nearly everything we produce – from our bags to our Smoke ‘Ems pouches – can be given another life. In honor of Earth Day on April 22, we wanted to share some tips on how to get the most of everything you buy from us.
If you’re grilling with Bear Mountain pellets, the ash left over can be used in your garden, lawns, or compost piles. This is because wood ash contains calcium, magnesium, potassium, and other nutrients that fertilize the soil and help raise pH levels to make the soil less acidic. Since our pellets come from 100% natural hardwood, they’re safe to use on plants and compost. Just make sure to test your soil before spreading the ash so you have a good idea of how much it needs. If you’re using the ash for compost, just lightly sprinkle it on each layer as you build up the pile.
As for our Smoke ‘Ems, after they’ve spent 45 minutes on the grill, the foil pouch provides the ideal environment for making biochar. What is biochar? Well, when wood is burned in a low oxygen environment, a rich, fine-grained charcoal known as biochar is produced.
Biochar can be used to develop nutrient-rich soil, neutralize pH levels, and deliver nutrients to your plants more easily. When the biochar is being created in the Smoke ‘Ems foil pouch, it’s also considered a carbon sequester because the enclosed environment means less CO2 is being released into the atmosphere.
So, next time you’re wondering what to do with that Smoke ‘Ems foil pouch that just came off the grill, try opening it up and using what’s inside for your gardening needs! Plus, after you’ve removed the biochar, you can go ahead and recycle that foil pouch.
Lastly, remember that all Bear Mountain products use a #4 LDPE, an easily recyclable plastic, which can be picked up by more than 18,000 retailers nationwide, including home improvement and grocery stores. To learn more about the recycling process, click here.