Creation Care Ministry
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One man's trash is another man's treasure
The most effective way to reduce waste is to not create it in the first place. Making a new product emits greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change and requires a lot of materials and energy — raw materials must be extracted from the earth, and the product must be fabricated then transported to wherever it will be sold. As a result, reduction and reuse are the most effective ways you can save natural resources, protect the environment and save money!
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Ideas on How to Reduce and Reuse
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- Think Green Before You Shop. Reduce associated greenhouse gas emissions by thinking green when you shop.
- Reduce your food waste by shopping smart, buying what you need, composting food scraps, and donating unused food to food banks or shelters. More ways to reduce your impact.
- Reuse or repurpose items such as old clothing, cloth grocery bags, and containers to prevent waste.
- Buy used items to reduce waste as well as the emissions created by producing new materials or disposing of them in landfills. Donate unused clothing, electronics and building materials to make sure others can reuse them too!
- Buy products made with recycled content. Check labels to see if a product or its packaging is made from recycled materials.
- Know before you throw. Know what items your local recycling program collects and encourage your household to recycle right and recycle more.
- Think Green Before You Shop. Reduce associated greenhouse gas emissions by thinking green when you shop.
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- Learn about what else you can do at home, at school, at work and in your community!
- Maintain and repair products, like clothing, tires and appliances, so that they won't have to be thrown out and replaced as frequently.
- Borrow, rent or share items that are used infrequently, like party decorations, tools or furniture.
Learn more:
From the EPA: Reduce, Reuse, RecycLE
From the NIH: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - Learn about what else you can do at home, at school, at work and in your community!
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Week 6
In this final week of Lent, recycle paper and cardboard, plastic bottles, jugs, jugs and tubs, metal cans and foil, and glass bottles and jars! By focusing on these common (and often valuable) materials, you help the environment and preserve natural resources.
Baltimore County Residential RecycLing Collection info
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Week 5
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When purchasing pesticides for your yard and garden, please be mindful of those that may be toxic. Check the ingredients and whether they are endorsed by the EPA.
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Some fruits that are NOT organic can be harmful to eat. View the 2023 "Dirty Dozen" and "Clean 15" list from EWG (Environmental Working Group).
"Pesticides can persist in the environment for decades and pose a global threat to the entire ecological system upon which food production depends. Excessive use and misuse of pesticides result in contamination of surrounding soil and water sources, causing loss of biodiversity, destroying beneficial insect populations that act as natural enemies of pests and reducing the nutritional value of food." Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right to food, January 2017 A/HRC/34/48.
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Week 4
Shop intentionally for sustainable, eco-friendly household cleaning products.
Read labels carefully. Select products that bear EPA seals which indicate the producers support care for personal health and the environment.
There is nobility in the duty to care for creation through little daily actions. We are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationships to all of God's creation.
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Week 3
Replace single-use plastics with earth-friendly, sustainable products; invest in reusable shopping bags, water bottles, and storage containers. Swap out plastic wrap with compostable wax paper. Avoid using straws and restaurant carry-out containers. And whenever possible, recycle in proper receptacles.
Learn more:
Tips to Use Less Plastic
U.S. Actions to Address Plastic Pollution
Did you know that discarded plastics make up approximately 10% by weight of the municipal waste stream? Millions of marine animals, birds, and mammals are killed annually by entanglement, starvation, and suffocation due to plastic waste. Furthermore, microplastics—tiny plastic particles that result from the breakdown of larger plastics—are ingested by marine life and often make it up the food chain to our tables.
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Week 2
Turn off water while brushing your teeth and say a Hail Mary for all those who don't have access to clean water.
Additional water-saving habits:
- Don't leave water running while rinsing dishes
- Take shorter showers — set a timer
- Use water-saving shower heads
- Use full loads only for dishwashers and washing machines
These small, simple, sustainable changes, when made by an entire community, can have a lasting positive impact.
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Week 1
Help preserve and protect our forests by pledging to swap out paper products with reusable paper towels, cloth napkins, and handkerchiefs.
Suggested additional activities:- View the film "The Letter" (below).
- This week, read the introduction to Laudato Si’. Discuss with your family how the Pope’s message is speaking to you.
Read Laudato Si’
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Prayer
- Forgive us God of all creation for not being awestruck at the complexity and the beauty of the earth and its ecosystems.
- Forgive us for failing to recognize the connectedness of all living things.
- Forgive us for our lack of reverence for the water, the air and the food that the earth provides.
- Forgive us for our waste and exploitation of your precious gifts.
- Forgive us for our addition to material consumption.
- Forgive us for falling into the wase of disposable things.
- Forgive us for not recognizing that in taking more than we need, someone will go without.
- Forgive us for being comfortable in our habits and refusing to try new ways.
- Forgive us for rejecting even small sacrifices for the good of all.
- Forgive us for choosing "I" insteadm of "we".
The climate crisis is a global problem that requires collective action. What choices do you make that contribute to the current crisis? How can your individual choices have an impact? How can you influence others to think collectively?
"Thousands have lived without love, not one without water."
"To be concerned is to be human. To act is to care."
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Contact Us
Jeanne O'Connor
jeanne.oconnor1@hotmail.com
Quinn Nugent
qnuge@msn.com
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The Letter: Laudato Si’ Film
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