This past July Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Stillwater Care of Creation Team did a tabling event on alternatives to single-use plastics. Recognizing that a “plastic-free” July, avoiding the use of all plastic for a month, is not realistic, congregants were encouraged to reduce their use of single use plastic for a month. Across the earth, the annual amount of single use plastics weighs approximately 150 million tons, nearly as much as half the total weight of the earth’s human population. And since many plastics take centuries to break down, the accumulative effects are staggering! It was clear that a positive impact could be made by educating and motivating the congregants.

The Care of Creation Team made a short announcement at each of the Sunday services and encouraged the congregants to stop by one or more of the tables after the service. Four small round tables in the church gathering space were used to facilitate conversations.  A Care of Creation Team member was stationed at each table and shared examples and their personal experiences with alternatives to single-use plastics (see photos).  Themes and some of the examples at the tables included:

In the Kitchen

• Compostable Garbage bags (made from plants and vegetables) 

• Beeswax Food Wraps 

• Silicone Ziploc Reusable Bags

• Palm Leaf Plates

• Reusable Drink Straws

In the laundry room

• Box of Powdered Laundry Detergent 

• Laundry Detergent and Fabric Softener pods and sheets

Personal care

• Shampoo and Conditioner Bars, Shaving Disks

• Toothpaste Tablets

• Bamboo Toothbrushes

The Care of Creation Team was very pleased that many congregants were not only interested in learning about alternatives to single-use plastic but also wanted to learn where they could find these products.  As a result of that interest, a section was added the Care of Creation webpage listing the alternatives and where they could be purchased. Here is the link: https://oslcstillwater.org/ministries/care-of-creation-ministry/care-of-creation-recommended-links/