St Mary Magdalene, Bildeston

Eco Church Update

Lets go plastic-free this July!

As we continue to break temperature and drought records around the world, plastic free July is an opportunity to help us see the joys of eco-discipleship and to travel gently on God’s beautiful earth.

Join the challenges at www.greenchristian.org.uk or www.tearfund.org

Below is a letter from Tearfund with some great ideas throughout July.

So take up the challenge and make a difference today!

RUBBISH BIN-GO

Every 30 seconds the UK throws away two double-decker busloads’ worth of plastic. We’re facing mountains of rubbish, and the rapid growth of single-use plastic is making the problem worse. It’s fuelling our throwaway culture, accelerating the climate emergency and impacting those living in poverty the most. But we don’t have to ‘conform to the patterns of this world’: we can act now, change our habits and reduce our own waste. By doing our bit locally, we can stand in solidarity with people living in poverty who are facing the worst effects of the world’s rubbish problem.

Poverty is not God’s plan. You are. So, during Plastic Free July, we’re inviting you to take our Rubbish Bin-go challenge! Our Bin-go card has 16 challenges to help you reduce plastic, learn more about the world’s rubbish problem and share with others how we can be part of the solution. See if you can tick off four, eight, 12 or all 16 challenges through the month of July, and then think about how you can turn them into longer-term changes in your lifestyle.

Find more information about the challenges go to the Tearfund website and download the Bin-go card.

As you complete the challenges, share them with us on social media or email us if you can. You could take a selfie with your reusable cup or at your local refill shop, film yourself doing a bin audit, or even send us a picture of your completed Bin-go card when you’re done! Use #RubbishBingo or #TearfundPlasticFreeJuly and tag @Tearfund on Facebook and Instagram or @TearfundAct on Twitter. You can also email us your photos on campaigns@tearfund.org

Get inspired Throughout the month, we’ll be sharing inspirational videos and tips, so keep an eye out for those on Tearfund Action’s Twitter feed . In the meantime, you can read about a church in Brazil that has gone on a journey to becoming zero-waste – and doing Plastic Free July as a congregation was a big part of their story! And watch our latest Change-maker film about Mel, a Tearfund supporter who runs a refill shop and whose faith influenced her response to waste.

And don’t forget: as well as taking action in your own life, you can join us in calling for an end to this plastic crisis globally through our Rubbish petition .

Thank you for taking action on plastic with us. We can’t wait to see how you get on!

Every blessing,

Naomi Witherick Tearfund Action

St Mary Magdalene, Bildeston

St Mary Magdalene, Bildeston

Get in touch

Neil Ashwell

Eco Church up-date for the Bildeston Benefice Summer 2023