Listen to the Cry of the Earth
and the Cry of the Poor
Graduations, weddings, baptisms, weekly potlucks, Lenten fish fries, and other parish events can generate a lot of paper and plastic waste. Reusable or biodegradable utensils and plates can greatly alleviate this, and make every parish festivity a sustainable one. Sustainable disposables do exist. There are many innovative companies currently making disposables from 100% renewable resources such as plant-based plastics, sugarcane, and wheat. Purchasing reusable tableware instead plastic-based items can also substantially cut the cost of these events and lessen the environmental impact in the long run.
Did you know? A case analysis featured in The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, estimates it only takes 10 uses for a resuable mug to overcome a polystyrene (a type of plastic used to make styrofoam) one.