2020 Vestry Motion: Reduction of Single-Use Plastics

‘WHEREAS Christians are called to be mindful stewards of creation and Anglican Christians are called to live out our baptismal covenant and the 5th Mark of Mission to “safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth”;

AND WHEREAS climate scientists and environmentalists have expressed serious concern about the effect of plastic on the environment, and the harmful effects of single use plastic on our oceans, rivers, streams, plants and wildlife are abundantly clear;

BE IT RESOLVED that parish leaders of [insert parish name] assess their use of single-use plastics, including rigid foam, for parish ministries, and take immediate steps to reduce the purchasing of these products;

AND THAT [insert parish name] commit to diminish the purchase of single use plastics, including rigid foam, and end the practice completely by the beginning of 2022;

AND THAT the Corporation of [insert parish name] arrange education for parishioners about the use of alternatives to single-use plastics in their homes;

AND THAT the Corporation of [insert parish name] shall report their progress on the reduction of single-use plastic to the diocesan Program Consultant for Justice and Outreach each year in September.’

Single-use plastics, often also referred to as disposable plastics, are commonly used for plastic packaging and include items intended to be used only once before they are thrown away or recycled — grocery bags, food packaging, drink bottles, and straws among them.

• Human beings purchase 1,000,000 plastic water bottles per minute.
• Canadians produce 3 million tonnes of plastic waste per year, with only 10% of that amount recycled.
• It takes nearly 29 million barrels of oil to produce the 50 billion water bottles society goes through each year — plus nearly 50 million additional barrels to pump, process, transport, and refrigerate our bottled water.
• The Canadian bottled water industry supplies approximately 50 litres per person per year, or 1.6 billion litres annually.

Source: Wellington Water Watchers — Single-Use Plastic Fact Sheet.

See also: Government of Canada — Taking Action to Reduce Plastic Pollution.