In almost every congregation we go into we get a few of the same questions over and over again. We love answering them, mostly because we love that you all care enough to ask. But, what if we can't be there, what if you can't find the answer somewhere else, what if you check your phone in the middle of our presentation and stop paying attention and miss our answer? Because of these what ifs and a whole lot more, we are writing these answers down. Have a question you want answered? We would love to hear your questions. Send it along and we promise to answer it (and if we can't answer it we promise to find people smarter than us who will!)
Today's Question - Should my congregation use compostable or recyclable cups, plates, and silverware at our congregational meal/function?The easy answer - neither. The best thing for the planet and your budget is for your congregation to use reusable dinnerware. Yes, it's time to bring out those porcelain plates, metal forks, and fire-up that super efficient dishwasher. In the long run, using reusable dinnerware will be better for your budget (less water costs and less purchasing costs), it will be better for the planet (reusable plates require less energy to create and maintain over their lifetime), and no one will have to get their pants dry cleaned after their cheap plate disintegrates under the weight of your next fried chicken and baked beans potluck. But wait, we don't have the volunteers to wash all these dishes - you shout as I do my best to ignore you. All I can say is, it's time for you and your green team to step up. But what if we don't have a high efficiency dish washer? This is another moment to step up. In the long run, the cost to the planet and to you of purchasing a high efficiency dishwasher, purchasing reusable dinnerware, and then running that dishwasher will be less then it costs to buy and use compostables or recyclable dinnerware. It will cost more up front, but we are in this for the long haul. Our faith calls us to care for creation and sometimes that work is easy and sometimes it is hard. However, we cannot acknowledge our moral mandate/responsibility to care for the planet and then just not do it. If we acknowledge the problem and then do nothing, that makes us hypocrites. It's time to step up. Wash and reuse your dishes, and don't wash them by hand because that will just use a ton of water. Seriously, wash them in your dishwasher.Don't believe me? -
listen to Ask Umbra, the super smart question answer person over at Grist that did all the research to back this answer up.
