For 35 days over the early spring, from the Spring Equinox to Earth Day, the Environmental Action Working Group challenges you to look at the part plastics play in your life and to seek ways to decrease your plastics use.
There will be 6 parts to the challenge starting Wednesday March 19, the Equinox until April 22, Earth Day. To download information and worksheets for each challenge, click on the dates below.
Wed. March 19 to Sat. March 21 GETTING READY
1. The first three days are about getting ready. Many of us have stainless steel water bottles, reusable mugs and reusable shopping bags or bins. Take this time to find all of these things and put them in a place where you can have them with you when you need them…in your back pack, or in your car.
2. And to get you motivated, let’s look at why “Springing Free from Plastic” is so important.
As Unitarian Universalists, our seventh principle calls on us to respect and nurture the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. Reducing plastic use is just one of the steps we need to take to ensure environmental sustainability.
Canadians are among the highest producers of plastic waste and only a mere 9 per cent of it is recycled. The remaining plastic ends up in landfills or polluting our environment, choking our waterways and killing wildlife. The Great Lakes alone are forced to swallow approximately 10,000 tonnes of plastic waste each year. And it’s estimated that by 2050, we could have more plastic than fish by weight in the oceans.
The daily millions of tons of plastic waste that may or may not be recycled or properly landfilled all break down eventually and can cause serious problems to living systems. Microplastics now pass through our water systems so virtually all species, including humans, drink plastic minutiae. They also leach toxic materials into the water, attracting other toxics, increasing their contamination. These substances are in turn consumed by smaller creatures and passed up the food chain to humans. While the effects are not yet clear, there is strong potential for harm. Precaution through prevention makes sense.
Plastics also contribute to the climate crisis. Plastics are derived from fossil fuels and emit greenhouse gases in their extraction and production, as well as in the energy consumption for recycling & disposal.
Here are your challenges. Good luck!
Sun March 22 – Sat. March 28 WEEK ONE: PLASTIC FREE SHOPPING
Sun. March 29 – Sat. April 4 WEEK TWO: PLASTIC FREE KITCHEN
Sun. April 5 – Sat. April 11 WEEK THREE: PLASTIC FREE LIFESTYLE
Sun. April 12 – Sat. April 18 WEEK FOUR: PLASTIC FREE BATHROOM AND LAUNDRY
Sun. April 19 –Wed. April 22 HOW DID YOU DO?
For each of the four challenge weeks, there will be 5 challenges to attempt. For each completed challenge you receive 2 points; for a partial completion, you receive 1 point.
You will receive Progress Charts for each week to help you keep track of how you are doing. There’s space for you to keep track of your points and also to comment on what difficulties you faced, what successes you had and what innovations you may have come up with.
It is hoped that you continue the challenges from each week throughout the Spring Free from Plastics Challenge, that they become habit forming and that you continue to use them after the Challenge is completed.
Questions will be available each week in the eUU and on the Congregation’s Facebook, and there will be a link to direct you to the charts for each week’s challenge. Hard copies of the charts will also be available at the Social Responsibility Table in Fellowship Hall after Sunday Service.
At the end of the Challenge, we’re hoping that you’ll share your experience, particularly your successes, your frustrations and your innovations.
You’ll be able to share your experience on Facebook or at a get-together on April 26.
There will be 6 parts to the challenge starting Wednesday March 19, the Equinox until April 22, Earth Day. To download information and worksheets for each challenge, click on the dates below.
Wed. March 19 to Sat. March 21 GETTING READY
1. The first three days are about getting ready. Many of us have stainless steel water bottles, reusable mugs and reusable shopping bags or bins. Take this time to find all of these things and put them in a place where you can have them with you when you need them…in your back pack, or in your car.
2. And to get you motivated, let’s look at why “Springing Free from Plastic” is so important.
As Unitarian Universalists, our seventh principle calls on us to respect and nurture the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. Reducing plastic use is just one of the steps we need to take to ensure environmental sustainability.
Canadians are among the highest producers of plastic waste and only a mere 9 per cent of it is recycled. The remaining plastic ends up in landfills or polluting our environment, choking our waterways and killing wildlife. The Great Lakes alone are forced to swallow approximately 10,000 tonnes of plastic waste each year. And it’s estimated that by 2050, we could have more plastic than fish by weight in the oceans.
The daily millions of tons of plastic waste that may or may not be recycled or properly landfilled all break down eventually and can cause serious problems to living systems. Microplastics now pass through our water systems so virtually all species, including humans, drink plastic minutiae. They also leach toxic materials into the water, attracting other toxics, increasing their contamination. These substances are in turn consumed by smaller creatures and passed up the food chain to humans. While the effects are not yet clear, there is strong potential for harm. Precaution through prevention makes sense.
Plastics also contribute to the climate crisis. Plastics are derived from fossil fuels and emit greenhouse gases in their extraction and production, as well as in the energy consumption for recycling & disposal.
Here are your challenges. Good luck!
Sun March 22 – Sat. March 28 WEEK ONE: PLASTIC FREE SHOPPING
Sun. March 29 – Sat. April 4 WEEK TWO: PLASTIC FREE KITCHEN
Sun. April 5 – Sat. April 11 WEEK THREE: PLASTIC FREE LIFESTYLE
Sun. April 12 – Sat. April 18 WEEK FOUR: PLASTIC FREE BATHROOM AND LAUNDRY
Sun. April 19 –Wed. April 22 HOW DID YOU DO?
For each of the four challenge weeks, there will be 5 challenges to attempt. For each completed challenge you receive 2 points; for a partial completion, you receive 1 point.
You will receive Progress Charts for each week to help you keep track of how you are doing. There’s space for you to keep track of your points and also to comment on what difficulties you faced, what successes you had and what innovations you may have come up with.
It is hoped that you continue the challenges from each week throughout the Spring Free from Plastics Challenge, that they become habit forming and that you continue to use them after the Challenge is completed.
Questions will be available each week in the eUU and on the Congregation’s Facebook, and there will be a link to direct you to the charts for each week’s challenge. Hard copies of the charts will also be available at the Social Responsibility Table in Fellowship Hall after Sunday Service.
At the end of the Challenge, we’re hoping that you’ll share your experience, particularly your successes, your frustrations and your innovations.
You’ll be able to share your experience on Facebook or at a get-together on April 26.
