Creation Care Travel Mugs

By Angel Owens

St. John’s is committed to being stewards of God’s creation, which leads us into a new ministry called Creation Care.

In the Summer of 2017, St. John’s installed solar panels on the roof of the Faith Center.

A plaque recognizing the commitment to Creation Care found in Peeler Hall reads, “The solar project set the stage for a variety of initiatives that embrace environmental stewardship, such as the elimination of Styrofoam on campus, replacing all lighting fixtures with LED lighting, and adding a bee hive to the roof of the church.”

Creation Care Travel Mugs
While “recycling” is the buzz word these days, we know that reducing and reusing are the best policies when it comes to waste.

At our 9:27 am worship, we serve coffee each week in paper cups. Although better than plastic or Styrofoam alternatives, these cups are not recyclable.

In December, Seasons Gifts will begin selling Creation Care travel mugs. These mugs bear the St. John’s logo with the words, “Creation Care: Caring for God’s creation. Together.”

In the spirit of hospitality, we won’t eliminate the paper cups. Our hope is that the travel mugs encourage members of the congregation to bring a reusable mug from home each week so that together we can be good stewards of God’s creation by reducing our waste.

The mug fits in most car cup holders, is about the same size as an ordinary cup of coffee, and has a secure lid. Note that because of the decal, the mug is not dishwasher safe.

The mugs are available in Seasons Gifts for $10 for a limited time.

What’s next?
We are committed to reusing whenever possible. When we have to use disposable materials, we have made the switch to paper products and plant-based biodegradable starch utensils instead of plastics and styrofoam.

In 2020, the Child Development Center will begin moving over to paper products and plant-based starch utensils, with a goal that within a year they will rely on reusable materials. To reach that goal, the CDC received a $15,000 grant from the NC synod’s Peeler-Casey Fund.

Pastor Laura says, “Healthy living was a goal for 2019 and beyond for the CDC. We feel that healthy living is not only about taking care of our bodies but taking care of everything God created including the world we live in. This will be a teaching moment for children and staff.”

The CDC uses approximately 9,200 styrofoam units and 6,000 plastic utensils every month. We know that almost all Styrofoam ends up in landfills, making up 30% of landfill space worldwide, and takes 500 years to decompose.

Over the course of the year, the CDC will begin purchasing Re-play BPA- free reusable plates, cups, sippy cups, bowls and utensils. Re-play products are made from recycled milk jugs and the company is committed to keeping their carbon footprint low by keeping their manufacturing, packaging, and distribution center within 150 miles of one another.

Reduce Waste: Go Digital
With our new website, forms and registrations will be available digitally.

All Eagle’s View newsletters are available online or via email. If you would like to receive an email copy instead of a printed mailing, please email angel@stjohns-salisbury.org.