Did you know that if you clean and dry your Starbucks cup and lid that they can both be put in the blue recycle bin? I didn’t. I also thought that I could put my clean empty bread loaf bag in the blue recycle bin. Not so!! It jams up the sorting machine which they then have to stop and manually pull out of the mechanism. That’s If it hadn’t been pulled off the conveyor belt by human hands prior to mechanical sorting.
I learned this and a lot more during our ECAM (East Shore’s Earth Climate Action Ministry) organized class at the Republic Services Learning Center in Seattle on January 31st. Republic is the company that picks up all the items that East Shore members and staff put in the gray, blue and green bins for weekly pick up.
Eight of us car-pooled to the Learning Center for a 90 minute, very informative class taught by Kaylie Wallin our Republic Sustainability Ambassador.
We also learned about some new technology that is coming on line. Here’s a link describing the Polymer Center in Las Vegas: https://youtu.be/qPlgCrK8gZs. Interested in future tours of recycling facilities in the Seattle area? Contact me by text at 425-830-1266.
by Mark Norelius, Earth & Climate Action Ministry Team
Only about 5% of the plastic we put in our recycling bins is recycled.1
Plastic comes from fossil fuels, and manufacturing plastics produces greenhouse gas emissions.2
As plastics break down, they form microplastics, which have been found in human livers, kidneys, and placentas.2
Every year, 11 million metric tons of plastic enter our oceans.3
So, how can we reduce plastic waste?
To cut down on single-use plastic laundry jugs, buy powdered laundry detergent in boxes (Tide, Arm & Hammer, All, Gain), or try these laundry tablets from Blueland. Blueland’s starter set includes a metal can to store the tablets, and refills come in a paper sack.
To cut down on plastic at the supermarket or produce stand, use these net bags for fruits and veggies (available at Fred Meyer and QFC), and avoid produce wrapped in plastic.
Bring reusable bags when you go shopping.
Use a reusable water container instead of water bottled in plastic. Buy beverages in glass rather than plastic.
Forgo straws or pack a metal straw when you eat out. Tell your server you don’t want a plastic straw.
When you eat out, bring containers from home for leftovers.
If you bring your lunch, package it in reusable containers.
Nearly all non-recyclable plastics end up in landfills, along with a large percentage of contaminated recyclable packaging. They will take hundreds of years to decompose.4
Plastic waste also ends up in the oceans. Wastewater, wind, rain, and floods carry plastic waste into the oceans.4
1 “Recycling plastic is practically impossible—and the problem is getting worse.” All Things Considered, National Public Radio. https://www.npr.org/2022/10/24/1131131088/recycling-plastic-is-practically-impossible-and-the-problem-is-getting-worse
2 U.S. EPA website. https://www.epa.gov/plastics/impacts-plastic-pollution#environmental
Since 2008, The Sophia Way has offered shelter, safety and stability to women experiencing homelessness on the Eastside. So far, more than 5,000 women have been supported by The Sophia Way and many have found their way to stable housing. The shelter in Bellevue houses 21 women and the one in Kirkland houses 30. A big goal is moving the women to permanent housing. In 2023, 411 women found shelter, 146 women moved into their own homes, volunteers gave 6,993 hours and 38,421 meals were provided.
East Shore has been a strong supporter of the Sophia Way since it started in 2008. Our Woman-Helping-Woman group has been involved since the beginning providing meals and other support. We are currently cooking a dinner for 25 women after church on the 2nd Sunday of each month and due to our large group of willing volunteers, may add one more dinner/month. Due to budget cuts, East Shore is not able to fund this project as it has in the past. Thus for this month’s Share the Plate on February 9, we are asking you to donate generously for this very worthy cause.
For the January 26 service, ESUC’s Indigenous Connections (IC) Team invited the Duwamish Solidarity Group (DSG) to come share their experience working with the Duwamish Tribe in Seattle. The DSG is a group of non-indigenous volunteers who work in various ways to support Duwamish Tribal Services providing assistance to tribal members, cultural programming, maintenance of the Duwamish Longhouse, and restoration of tribal lands and the Duwamish River.
The service led by Rev. María Cristina focused on being “In Solidarity with the Duwamish .” Rev. María Cristina spoke eloquently about establishing right relations with indigenous people and other marginalized groups. She called on the congregation to live out its commitment to the church’s Land Acknowledgement as a spiritual guide to action:
Representing DSG, Kate Carrington explained the work and approach of the DSG including the impact of “Real Rent” as a concrete way of supporting the Duwamish tribe. By collaborating with and listening closely to tribal members, DSG is in a position to support priorities established by the tribe.
Following the service, a potluck lunch brought the three DSG Outreach members present and interested congregants together to share food and ideas. As we individually and as a congregation deepen our understanding of indigenous histories and the impact of US policies on native and other marginalized communities, may we indeed live out our commitment to what we profess in our Land Acknowledgement.
All “Share-the-Plate” donations collected at the morning service were dedicated to Duwamish Tribal Services. For those interested in finding out more about “Real Rent“, please visit https://www.realrentduwamish.org. For ideas about other ways to engage with the Duwamish and other tribal communities, talk with East Shore’s Indigenous Connections team members. We would lot to have you join our team!
In closing thanks to all who brought food to share or expressed interest in learning more about DSG and cultivating our connections with the Duwamish!
Here is an easy way to support bold, sound, and just climate legislation in the Washington state during this year’s session (Jan 13-April 27).
Join the 350 WA Civic Action Team (CAT) who will send you two easy-access emails per week tailored with options for how much time you have (from 5 to 20 minutes per week). The bi-weekly email lists the climate bills with top priority for the week. After the brief explanation of the bill, click on a link to register your Pro or Con position on a bill. You may add a comment, but it is not required.
350WA says: “We recognize that folks don’t always have time to get all the way through our actions, and that is okay! Every little bit helps. We just ask that you get through as many sections as you can and then scroll to the bottom and click the orange “Done” button to submit. This way we can keep an accurate tally of how many actions the CAT campaign takes this session.
Earth and Climate Action Ministry (ECAM) had a banner year. We grew from 6 very active members to 10!! Current members of the Steering Committee are Ann Fletcher, John Chmaj, Mark Norelius, Linda Brown, Marilyn Mayers, Jenny Hall, Richard Gelb, Ron Lovell, and Patricia Paddison.
Starting in 2025 Jenny Hall will be the Contact Person for ECAM.
Following the Climate Justice Revival in September, we created an email list called East Shore Climate Community from attendees who indicated they wanted to be notified of activities and topics of interest regarding environmental issues. Email Jenny Hall if you would like to be added to the email list.
