What you can do right away to promote sustainability: Buy from local vendors Install compact fluorescent bulbs Turn off your computer monitor and put your computer to sleep when you leave your desk Carry reusable bags to the grocery store Use both sides of paper Bike and walk more often and take the Rapid Use cloth towels instead of paper towels in the kitchen Use “green” cleaning supplies Read the monthly Perspective newsletter online instead of receiving a paper copy in the mail to cut down on paper, postage and staff time (send request to kschmauder@plymouthchurchucc.org).  Read our Green Corner monthly articles from the Perspective for helpful tips (see below):
GREEN CORNER - NOVEMBER 2008   Tip of the month:  Avoid plastic bags!  They require vast amounts of oil to produce and eventually break down into toxic pollutants.  Did you know that the City of Shaker Heights no longer recycles plastic bags for residents?  Many stores offer reusable bags now – try those instead.    Making Plymouth More Sustainable: ·         There are recycling bins just inside the sanctuary doors.  Place your bulletins there after worship if you don’t plan to keep them. ·         New recycling bins are available in the kitchen for plastic, glass, and cans. ·         Plymouth has started purchasing 100% recycled paper.  You can find 100% recycled paper at Office Depot or Staples. ·         Plymouth has started purchasing “green” cleaning supplies.  You can find these supplies at www.shaklee.net/dianeturner or by calling Diane Turner at 216.321.9212.    Go Green! Refund Program through Flowerville: Flowerville (at Warrensville Center and Silsby Roads) will accept used floral arrangement products from Plymouth members and in return will issue a “Go Green” refund to the church quarterly. Acceptable items are: ·         Clear, floral glassware ·         Reusable, clean baskets ·         Terracotta pots which aren’t chipped or cracked Make sure to mention Plymouth Church when you deliver the items to Flowerville.	GREEN CORNER – JANUARY 2009   Things to do in the winter:   • Turn it down. Save up to 1% on your heating bill for every degree you turn down the thermostat.   • Don't let savings go up in smoke. Use your fireplace efficiently.   • Let the sun heat your home. Open drapes on south-facing windows during the day.   • Keep the heat. Close curtains at night and on windows that don't get sun.   • Keep it running. Maintain your heating system.   These tips are from the US Dept. of Energy website. To find out more go to: http://www.energysavers.gov
GREEN CORNER – FEBRUARY 2009   Tip of the month: Insulation   The average home wastes energy through the building fabric. This is energy that you pay for and which is heating the air outside your home! In general, newer homes waste less energy than older ones, and flats lose less energy than houses. For a typical semi-detached house: ·         35% of energy is lost through walls ·         30% through the roof ·         20% through windows ·         15% through doors and floors These figures are a guide and will vary depending on the type of property. Clearly, it is very important to insulate the roof and walls, as this is where most heat is lost.   There are a number of ways in which you can improve the energy efficiency of a home. Energy efficiency improvements will pay for themselves in time, because they save money on your heating bill. The time taken to pay for themselves is known as the 'payback period'. The following are the main energy efficiency improvements, with the approximate payback period for each: ·         cavity wall insulation - payback in less than two years ·         loft insulation - payback in around one year ·         draughtproofing doors and windows - payback in around four years ·         hot water cylinder jacket - payback in around six months ·         ground floor insulation - payback in less than three years	GREEN CORNER – MARCH 2009 Water Bottles versus Water Filtration: It is unrealistic to think that water can be bottled in plastic containers, produced at a bottling factory, transported and stored at high temperatures for months at a time and be purer than what a basic home water filtration system can provide. It is impossible to get chemical free water from a plastic bottle. Basic home water filtration is more convenient, produces higher quality water and costs a fraction of what bottled water costs. Bottled water causes over 60,000,000 plastic bottles to be produced, filled, transported and disposed of "every day" in America. It is an environmental nightmare. It takes 3 times as much water to produce the bottle as it does to fill it. Use of fossil fuels and the related emissions from transporting dense, heavy containers of water throughout America make it even worse. Plastic takes over 300+ years to degrade in nature. Quality in-home water filtration is by far the best way to ensure healthy water for you and your family. A single home or office water filtration system can prevent thousands of plastic bottles from entering and damaging our environment. There are many types of water purification methods (i.e. carbon filters, sediment filters, reverse osmosis, water softening, deionization, neutralizing and aeration). Water filtration can occur at different points in the water stream as well. Filters can be used at the water supply point of entry (whole house filtration), at the source (faucet or refrigerator) or after the stream (water filtration pitchers). Filtered watered may also be safely stored in glass bottles in the refrigerator. To compare water filter brands check out this site: www.waterfiltercomparisons.com *Reference source: www.bottledwaterblues.com
GREEN CORNER – APRIL 2009 Click here to see a Summary of recycling Do's and Don'ts for Shaker Heights and Cleveland Heights residents.  You may also want to try:  www.shakeronline.com/services/collection/Recycling.asp www.clevelandheights.com/citydept_works_refuse_recycling.asp
GREEN CORNER – JUNE 2009 What We Learned from our Dumpster Dive We can improve our recycling efforts. We found some items in the trash that could be recycled if placed in the right receptacle. We will be making recycling easier with additional well-marked bins, bags or other receptacles. Remember, there is no “away.”   As in, “I can just throw this AWAY when I’m done with it.” It actually goes nearby, to pile up, leach, sit, etc. And we all know, many things stick around for a VERY long time-especially things like plastic plates and forks (over a thousand years in landfills).   We can cut our waste dramatically by eliminating the use of disposable plates, cups and napkins at all of our social events. We are so blessed to have such an extensive collection of dishware and silverware, and we are gathering donations of cloth napkins, so that we can avoid using disposable items.   Food waste builds up at Plymouth. Don’t be shy! At the end of coffee hour, receptions, etc., please take/send food home to be eaten!	GREEN CORNER – JULY/AUGUST 2009 Bring Your Own Dishes (BYOD) Events Picnic goers at our annual church picnic helped reduce waste by using mostly non-disposable picnic ware items. Participants did very well with this new approach: 1) we didn’t use a single paper napkin and 2) only had one bag of trash headed for the landfill. A special thanks to everyone who was able to bring their own reusable items. We plan to make our future meals more “green,” by continuing to use cloth napkins. If you are able to donate some blue cloth napkins (in any shade), please bring them to the kitchen. Try this at home!  Use cloth napkins and washable dishes.  Think about composting unused food.   GREEN CORNER – SEPTEMBER 2009 Alternative to plastic recycling bins At Plymouth Church, our recycling bins are cardboard boxes we accumulated from various deliveries.  They have been painted by our youth in colorful recycling themes.  Why buy a plastic recycling container when you can use boxes you already have??!!