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Precycle! Be aware of packaging, buy glass which can be easily recycled, and avoid excess packaging and keep an eye out for recycled containers “I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and rich produce. But you came and defiled my land and made my inheritance detestable.” Jeremiah 2:7 We all know about recycling, but have you considered “pre-cycling?” Rather than producing a load of waste and then trying to recycle it, rather consider how you can buy less packaging. Recycling is a wonderful activity as it allows for all sorts of energy savings- but it’s not a get out of jail free card for our waste. Resources are used, energy is consumed and a degree of pollution follows. The 3R’s of going green – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – are in that order for a reason. The greenest product is the one you don’t buy, but as we can’t live on air alone then we need to make more informed purchase choices and precycling is related to “Reduce” – the most important of the 3R’s, and also to”Reuse” which is sometimes referred to as“Repurposing”. Precycling is about reducing waste by avoiding items that will generate it, or selecting certain items that will generate less, or acquiring items that can be reused for something else. Being an avid precycler can also save you money too!. Here are a few examples: Concentrated products We’re brainwashed to think more is good, but sometimes less is better. Products such as washing detergents are widely available in concentrated forms, packing as much punch as their water heavy counterparts. Concentrated products reduce packaging, weight and as a bonus – less transport related emissions. Wrappings Plastic wrap is a great invention, but one that haunts us once we’re done with it. It ends up in landfill where it’ll slowly decompose for decades if not hundreds of years. A sturdy container with an airtight lid or a washable ziplock bag can take the place of plastic wrap..  Bags, cans and jars Bags can be used for other purposes – particularly breadbags.This also applies to jars and other containers which can be very useful for holding buttons, screws or any other small loose items where you may usually buy a container dedicated to the task. Forward thinking When considering purchasing a product, think ahead to what it could be used for once it’s no longer suitable for the original purpose. For example, instead of buying paper towel or paper napkins, cloth napkins can be purchased then can then be used for general cleanups once they get a little grotty, then as they become even grottier, can be used for jobs such as wiping grease off car engines before they are finally disposed of. Paper Refuse portions of the newspaper that you do not want and ask the shop attendant not to add in all those extra plastic packages. Write to the people sending you junk mail and ask them to stop. Precycle vs. Recycle

Avoid using styrofoam packaging, when buying a take-away use recycled paper or a reusable container “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body”. 1 Cor 6:19 Apart from being really bad for your body, junk food produces a vast amount of rubbish. Studies indicate that the biggest source of rubbish is junk food.  Up to thirty percent of that rubbish could be eliminated by re-usable alternatives. Have a look at the amount of rubbish produced by that Big Mac and Coke . The dictionary meaning of the word ‘junk’ is useless, extra or something that is not needed. And all these fast food items that have invaded every nook and corner of our country are called junk because they are not needed. Junk food businesses are dominating the food industry with each huge food chain generating multibillion dollar revenue. Here are some of the effects of junk food apart from producing vast piles of junk: It can cause type 2 diabetes: One of major contributing factors for the emerging diabetes epidemic is unhealthy diet full of junk and fast food. When you eat a healthy diet, your body gets a steady supply of glucose, which helps maintain insulin sensitivity. On the other hand, when you eat only junk food, the excessive stress exerted on your metabolism affects the ability of your body to use insulin properly. Since junk food lacks fibre content, its consumption directly results in a spike in sugar levels. Further, junk food consumption leads to obesity, one of the main reasons for insulin resistance and development of diabetes. It causes fatigue and weakness: Junk food lacks most of essential nutrients like proteins and vitamins required for maintenance of overall health and functioning of all the systems in your body. Although it makes you feel full and satisfied, it fails to provide you with instant energy, making you feel weak and tired after a while. Junk food can lower your energy levels to an extent that it may become difficult for you to even perform your daily tasks. Causes depression among teenagers: A lot of hormonal changes occur in teenagers, which makes them susceptible to mood swings and behavioural changes. And a healthy diet plays an important role in maintaining that hormonal balance. It reduces family time together at the table:. Fast food does not provide family members opportunity to sit and eat at one place. Every one can buy and eat walking in the way, driving a vehicle and during their work in the  office. The satisfaction which a combine meal provide is lacking in junk food. So this Lent, why not be good to your body and the planet and fast from Junk food for forty days. Fast Food Garbage Makes up 50% of Street  Litter Reasons to stop eating junk food right now!  

Meat Free Monday  Think twice about taking a bag if your purchase is small, reuse bags and being a cloth bag or bags Become a bag lady (or gent) DID YOU KNOW Plastic shopping bags are usually not biodegradable. Even the ‘biodegradable’ ones never completely disappear, they break up into little pieces. Plastic is made from petroleum Plastic often ends up in the ocean, killing marine animals or birds who get tangled up in them or swallow them . Watch this video about the impact on baby albatrosses in the middle of the ocean. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUM58LIU2Lo The ink used in plastic bags contains cadmium a toxic heavy metal, so when they are incinerated , heavy metals spew into the air. WHAT TO DO Think twice before taking a bag if your purchase is small. Just hold it in your (wait for it…) hands! All plastic shopping bags are reusable many times. Keep one in your handbag for that unplanned purchase Bring cloth bags when you do your grocery shopping. Buy bags made by community upliftment projects and make a difference!

Smart Fish Friday Conserve your light, turn off fixtures when not in use, and use LED and other wattage lowering options LESSEN YOUR LIGHTS “Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house”. Matt 5;15 How to save electricity on lighting Lighting is  probably the easiest area to save in. Switch to energy saving bulbs. Save 70-90% right away by using LED or CFL lights. Here is why: “Traditional incandescent bulbs are  small heaters that give off a little bit of light—something you know if you’ve ever touched a bulb that’s been on for a while.  These bulbs were technological wonders when they were patented in 1880, but today they are inefficient dinosaurs.  They waste energy and money, and they are responsible for millions of tons of global warming pollution.” LED is better but the bulbs are expensive. You will pay them off eventually but if the cost is too high, go with CFL. Make sure you get them bright enough   -multiply by 6, a 10 watt LED is a 60 watt equivalent. But CFLs with a warranty, the cheap ones burn out fast. Turn off lights when you’re not using them, even for just a few minutes. The idea that lights (whether regular or fluorescents) use extra electricity to start up is a myth. Use a motion sensor Exterior security lights automatically shut off after 1-15 minutes, so you’re not paying to run them all night. Use the lowest-wattage bulbs for lights that are always on (e.g., stairways). Replacing 75-watt bulbs with 15-watt bulbs reduces energy usage by 80%.  Replacing them with LED or CFL lights saves even more. Install a skylight. Using natural lighting saves a bunch of energy and produces a much nicer environment besides. Modern skylights are available which let in only the light and not the heat. How to save electricity on lighting