EcoChurch Interview: Giving Up Plastic

Creationtide or the Season of Creation is the period in the annual church calendar, from 1^st September to 4^th October, dedicated to God as Creator and Sustainer of life. At St Giles, this is a time when we focus especially on our engagement with the EcoChurch initiative and efforts to make our community more sustainable.

At St Giles there are many different ways that we try to conserve God’s creation and an individual as well as a church level. For Lent this year, Catherine our churchwarden attempted to give up plastic. Here she tells EcoChurch Champion Abi Sampson all about it:

What does a plastic free Lent involve?

It’s not about avoiding all plastic – for example I used things I already had at home such as tupperware. Instead, it’s about trying to avoid as much as possible the disposable plastic that’s so much a part of our day-to-day lives.

Do you do plastic free Lent every year?

This is the first time I’ve tried it, but I think I will do it again.

Why is it important to cut down on disposable plastic?

As Christians we are called to be stewards of God’s creation. When I’ve been on bird-watching trips, I’ve noticed just how much plastic waste gets everywhere, even if I’m somewhere quite remote. It washes up on the beach. I’ve seen it caught in trees. In the Pacific ocean there’s an area known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch or ‘the largest rubbish dump on earth’ where plastic waste which doesn’t biodegrade has got caught in the currents of the oceans’ revolving water systems and can get stuck there for years. It can seem like an overwhelming problem. Plastic free Lent made me more aware of what I can do about this and of how broader action is needed.

What did you find most challenging?

Grocery shopping. So much in supermarkets comes wrapped in plastic, so I didn’t manage to be completely plastic-free. I tried to go for tins or jars as these are much more easily recyclable.

What did you learn during your plastic-free Lent?

How omnipresent plastic is. We need to tell the businesses we buy from that we want alternatives. These are available, for example plant based plastic alternatives that biodegrade. Convenience doesn’t have to involve plastic.

Do you have any tips for others who might like to try plastic-free Lent?

Planning is important, especially for grocery shopping. Planning ahead means less reliance on supermarkets. For example, at greengrocers or markets plastic wrapping isn’t so common. And don’t be discouraged if you’re unable to be completely plastic-free. Doing something is better than doing nothing and increases our awareness.

And the all important question – did you include Sundays?

I did!

If you’d like to know more about what Christian conservationists are doing, click here: https://arocha.org/en/projects/global-plastic-cleanup