28th February : Does your church recycle?

“You shall not pollute the land in which you live” Numbers 35:33

When you are at church today, have a look at what happens to the waste. What happens to the office waste, food waste.

Does your church recycle? If not, could you help set up a recycling system? How else could your church be re-using things? Educate yourself and your congregation by watching the Story of Stuff (http://storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-stuff/ ), and sharing it with members of your congregation.

The good news is this – it can create money and jobs!

Nationally in South Africa recycling has created over 29000 jobs, and created R15.3 BILLION in the last year – So if we just throw our waste away we are throwing away job opportunities for many people

Can your church take this issue of recycling seriously? This is a service you can offer to the community and to the planet. Find out which companies will come and pick up recycling. If you recycle in bulk you can also possible earn some money by doing so.

If you don’t have space, maybe you can provide a recycling service for those small but  toxic items – batteries (have acid), CFL globes (have mercury). Let congregation and community members bring them to church and you can drop them off at a recycling place once a month or so..

Consider your own actions as well this Lent!

Gracious God, Creator of All,
we raise our hearts in grateful praise
for all the beauty that surrounds us.
May we learn to respect all
as a sacred gift
and do what we can to repair
the damage we have caused
through our consumerism, greed and carelessness.
Grant us an ecological conversion
so that we can leave
our next generation
with a future full of hope
where there is enough for all.
We ask this in the name of Jesus.
Amen
                   Prayer by Sr. Marlene Kelly, GSIC,