At Woodland, we like to remind ourselves that the first job God gave us was to care for his creation. One of the ways we aim to do this is through our composting program. The Corner Shelf, Close to My Heart daycare and the church as a whole all participate in composting.
Paula Bowlby, Children’s and Outreach Associate Pastor, says “According to the Environmental Protection Agency, composting is nature’s way of recycling and is one of the most powerful actions we can take to reduce trash in landfills, address climate change and build healthy soil.”
Kinsey Zafke, Food Shelf and Outreach Leader, adds, “The EPA has also found that food scraps are the largest component of landfill solid waste. When food in landfills breaks down, it emits greenhouse gasses that are harmful to the environment. Composting doesn’t!”
You can help us compost at Woodland by throwing your compostable items in the correct container. These aren’t as obvious as food scraps, but paper towels, kleenex, napkins, and the cups used for coffee and water on Sundays and at events can all be pitched into the compost container!
Kinsey says, “We are called to care for our planet and I think it’s important for churches, food shelves and other organizations to set an example in this.”
Composting is just one of the ways we are trying to practice creation care. Here are a few others:
- We swapped out our plastic communion cups for stainless steel ones.
- We switched from plastic table coverings to cloth.
- We now use stainless steel utensils instead of plastic.
- All our offices only have recycling bins. Any other trash goes to a central station. This helps us to remember to see if something is recyclable first, before throwing it away.
- We bought a new energy-efficient dishwasher to sanitize utensils and communion cups.
- We have reduced the number of times we take out our trash and lowered the use of trash bags to limit the number of bags in the landfill.
Paula says, “I think this is a small way that Woodland can do our part. It doesn’t take that much time, but it makes a big difference. We are called to steward our resources and care for our planet.”
If you want more ideas of how you can care for God’s pets and property, or want to share your own, check out our Creation Care page.
