EARTHCARE MINISTRY "Green Sheet" for March 2020
"We can't just continue living as if there was no tomorrow, because there is a tomorrow."
- Greta Thunberg
Plastic Bag Recycling
The Trex plastic bag collection box is back! EarthCare is coordinating this recycling project with the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax and other partners. As we reduce our accumulation of plastic bags, we can recycle the plastic wrapping that is difficult to avoid.
Why bring our bags to Unity instead of the grocery store? Trex makes benches out of the recycled plastic. If our group collects 500 pounds of plastic by June, we will win a bench! Last year we donated our winning bench to Luther Jackson Middle School in Merrifield.
Drop clean, dry wrappings including grocery bags, produce bags, re-closable baggies, bread bags, newspaper sleeves, dry cleaning bags, bubble wrap, case overwrap and all-plastic (no paper) mailers into the box in the Atrium.
Glass Recycling – Good news!
The city of Alexandria, along with Fairfax, Arlington, and Prince William counties were pleased to establish the Purple Bin recycling project to recycle glass into construction and landscaping material. But the news is now even better. The project has been so successful that some of the glass is now being recycled into new bottles, sustainably closing the loop!
Owens-Illinois, Inc. manufactures 3.6 million bottles a day in Virginia at plants in Danville and Toano. They say glass-to-glass recycling uses less energy than making bottles from original material, reduces carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, and supports hundreds of jobs.
With the project’s success, Purple Bins are being added to new locations and many are being emptied more frequently. Check your local government website to find the bin closest to you!
Still re-using disposable bottles?
Even when we use re-usable beverage bottles, we can find ourselves with a plastic bottle of water. Isn’t double-use better than single-use? Not in this case. From Mother Nature Network (mnn.com) 1/17/20:
". . . regardless of the type of plastic, a water bottle collects a lot of dings, dents and creases as it's reused. And those nicks could increase the chances of chemicals leaching into the water.
Experts warn that "everyday wear and tear from repeated washings and reuse can lead to physical breakdown of the plastic, such as visible thinning or cracks."
Then there's the problem of bacteria — something that also happens to thrive in cracks or dents, thanks to the difficulty of washing those nooks.
While all bacteria isn't necessarily bad, it's probably safe to say you don't want to ingest it on [a regular basis].
The bottom line? If you really want to be a hero to both the environment and your body, reusing a plastic water bottle probably isn't a good idea. Instead, get out that stainless reusable water bottle that's been in the cabinet and fill it up."
Hey, Contact Lens Wearers!
From EMagazine.com, 11/11/19:
"A study of the U.S. eyewear market published by the American Chemical Society indicates that up to 20% of contact lens wearers flush their lenses directly down the toilet or sink when they’re through with them. This is a potentially substantial amount of plastic entering the water table, considering that 45 million Americans use contact lenses regularly.
Once these lenses go down the drain, they pose risks to human infrastructure as well as marine life. The researchers . . . found that the microbes in wastewater treatment plants “weaken the bonds in the plastic polymers” of contact lenses. . . . — it means these microbes are actively manufacturing microplastics right before our eyes from larger pieces, including contacts.
If the lenses end up “in the wild” in another water source, they tend to sink, since they’re denser than water. This poses a risk to the health of bottom feeders, which are essential to the balance and functionality of aquatic environments. Bottom feeders even help keep millions of tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere each year."
Spring Beautification Day, Saturday March 28 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.
No gardening experience necessary! Bring gloves, water and weeding and pruning tools if you have them. Come for an hour, or more if you’re available. Enjoy the socializing and the beauty of sprouts poking up through a freshly weeded patch of soil.
NEXT EARTHCARE MEETING
Monday, March 9 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Atrium. All are welcome to attend!
Contacts: Casey Tarr or Mary Brown