Week 8

Ways to Care for God’s Creation

Throughout the summer we’re going to give you some suggestions for ways that you can better help to take care of the beautiful world that God gave us.

Week 8 – Find Alternatives to Single-Use Items

We have been called a “throw away” culture. We have so many things that we use just once and then throw away. Plastic silverware, paper plates, paper towels, ketchup packets are some of the things that food service uses all the time— resulting in nearly 1 trillion disposable food service products used each year in the U.S. alone.  We have become so used to the convenience of single-use items that it will be hard for us to not use any, but there are small changes we can start to make and small changes can make a difference.

Here are a few examples of ways to avoid single use items.

• If you get food for take-out or delivery, request that they not give you any plastic forks or spoons or condiment packages. Then you can use your own silverware and condiments at home.
• Avoid using plastic straws.
• Take your re-usable travel mug to the coffee shop. Many places will let you use your own mug instead of taking one of theirs.
• Use cloth napkins instead of paper napkins.
• Use a reusable water bottle instead of buying bottled water.
• Use re-usable dryer balls instead of dryer sheets.
• Use re-usable silicone or fabric sandwich bags instead of plastic ones.

The less we throw away the better! Be creative and pay attention – these are just a few of the ways that you can make a difference.