| |
Global
Warming: “Reduce, Repair, Recycle and Reuse!”
Part 9 in the series by by Janet
Fulljames of St. Andrew's Church Taunton 30 September 2007
The words “reduce, repair, recycle and reuse” suggest
we need to think carefully before buying or replacing a product. We live
in a culture that encourages us to “buy, buy, buy”. Every product we buy
has a carbon footprint, there are energy costs for anything manufactured
or processed and transported to the point of purchase. Refusing to buy
when we don’t actually need the product can dramatically reduce our
carbon footprints. It can also help to preserve the world’s natural
resources. Charities are already looking to Christmas and encouraging us
to buy “virtual” gifts to help people in the developing world, we can
choose projects that reduce their carbon footprints as well as our own!
-
We can reduce our use of energy in the home or
the church by turning off lights we don’t need, turning down the
heating, and using our washing machines more carefully.
-
We can use the car less by sharing journeys,
using public transport and walking or cycling when we can.
-
We can eat less, particularly processed snack
foods, reduce our weight and improve our health!
Where possible we can try to repair objects that no
longer work. This can be difficult, parts can be hard to obtain or fit,
and it may be just as expensive as buying a new item. If we ask for
parts it will send an important message to the manufacturers!
-
Rather than buy new batteries we can purchase
ones that can be recharged, this will be cheaper in the long term as
well!
-
Curtains can be cut and re-sewn to fit a smaller
window.
-
Instead of buying a new bed, why not buy just a
mattress?
-
Why not recover the settee or reupholster the
chairs rather than buying new ones?
Taunton Deane is trying to encourage us to recycle
our refuse. Most of us could sort our rubbish more carefully, so that
more could be recycled or reused.
-
Some of us could compost all vegetable waste, we
might then no longer need to buy garden compost!
-
Recycling an aluminium can or tin will save 95%
of the energy it would take to make a new one. Aluminium cans can be
recycled again and again!
-
Mobile phones and glasses that are no longer
suitable can be reused or recycled. Charities collect spectacles and
mobile phones so that they can be sent to developing countries.
Could St Andrew’s become a recycling centre?
-
Look at
www.greenchoices.org/recycling for a
guide to how more can be recycled.
Waste to us is often a valuable item to someone else
in a different place!
It has been calculated that 70% of the contents of
our bins could be reused! In the UK 80% of our rubbish goes to landfill,
this emits methane that damages our climate. We throw away 150 million
plastic bags every week and 8 million nappies every day that become
landfill waste.
Here are some ideas of things we could reuse:-
-
Reuse envelopes and jiffy bags, sticking labels
over the address.
-
Take clothes and books no longer needed to a
charity shop.
-
Dispose of unwanted furniture by donating it to a
charity.
-
If you have a printer, print on both sides of the
paper if you can. Reuse printed paper for recording telephone calls,
writing drafts etc.
-
Make use of web sites like
www.freecycle.org.uk or
www.freerecycle.com to advertise items you
no longer want or to obtain some cheap or free ones yourself!
There was a well known old saying “waste not, want
not!” We need to return to this way of thinking. Think, what can I
reduce, then, what can I reuse or repair, and finally, what can I
recycle.
When we do these things we are thinking and behaving
responsibly as Christians, caring for the earth and its resources.
Janet Fulljames.
 |
Global warming:
should Christians care?
To read the first piece
in this series please
click here. |
 |
Global warming: is
there anything we can do?
To read the
second piece
in this series please
click here.
|
 |
Global warming:
what is the church doing?
To read the
third piece
in this series please
click here. |
 |
Global warming:
what can we as a congregation do?
To read the
fourth piece
in this series please
click here. |
 |
Global warming:
what is my carbon footprint?
To read the
fifth piece
in this series please
click here. |
 |
Global warming:
what can I do to save energy in the home?
To read the
sixth piece
in this series please
click here. |
 |
Global warming:
what can I do about shopping?
To read the
seventh piece
in this series please
click here. |
 |
Global warming:
what can I do to reduce emissions from transport?
To read the
eight part in this series please
click here. |
 |
Global warming:
"reduce, repair, recycle and reuse!"
To read the
ninth part in this series please
click here |
 |
Global warming:
what next?
To read the tenth
part in this series please
click here |
BACK TO HOMEPAGE
BACK TO
HOT TOPICS
|
|
