“Be Ye Stewards of the Earth”
This committee meets regularly to pursue green initiatives, both as a parish and as individual Christians. We are deeply grateful for the beauty of God’s creation, and invite all to join us in our work to preserve it. By reducing the size of our own environmental footprint, with God’s help, we intend to have a positive impact on the future of our church and community. Team members serve as representatives to the Diocesan Stewardship of Creation Committee (SoCC) and encourage theological study and practical applications of environmentalism and care for our Earth.
Here at St. James’s we are “going green” in many ways. We recycle all our paper and purchase items, such as compostable cups, with awareness of their environmental impact. We compost all of our kitchen scraps through our contract with NOPE (Natural Organic Process Enterpises). From the palm fronds for Palm Sunday, which are from a sustainable grower, to office paper with recycled content, the choices we make reflect our dedication to conserving and preserving God’s creation.
Contact: Monica Lewis
Tips from St. James’s Stewards of the Earth:
Smart Use of Plastic
- REUSE: Carry canvas bags or previously-used grocery bags to the store each visit. By reusing our bags, we can limit the number of new bags that stores put in circulation. Some plastic bags get recycled, but many wind up in landfills, and still others make their way to what is known as the “Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch” – a mass of floating plastics that is currently estimated to be twice the size of Texas.
- RECYCLE: Know your numbers! The City of Richmond and surrounding counties will recycle any narrow-necked plastic bottles labeled 1 through 7. You can take number “2” and “4” plastic bags – grocery as well as dry-cleaning – to certain grocery stores like Martin’s, Kroger, and Farm Fresh to be recycled (look for a marked bin in the entrance). For complete information on central Virginia’s recycling program, look here.
- REDUCE: When you pack lunches, use re-usable containers instead of using disposable plastic bags. Visit a website such as www.reuseit.com to find alternatives that will save you money and save our environment from wasteful plastics. Also, if you pack a lunch in your own containers, you can save up to 40% in grocery bills vs. using pre-packaged items (i.e. “snack-packs” and “lunchables”).
- RETHINK: Be aware of every plastic item you use. In a standard landfill (that is lined with impermeable plastic of course), a single plastic bag could take 500 to 1,000 years to decompose. Just say “no” to plastic toys and promotional “give-aways” that you do not really want.
- But plastic doesn’t always have to be the bad guy…for instance, did you know that you can use your credit card each month to pay your annual pledge to St. James’s? Now, that is a smart use of plastic!
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