Green Team

As our congregations respond to the changing climate and destructive storms, new expensive technologies that promise future efficiencies and savings, reimagined functional inner spaces and more, we can all benefit from the experiences of our colleagues in the Conference as well as those of other Florida churches. With Sanibel Congregational UCC finishing its rebuilding from the devastating impact it suffered from Hurricane Ian, church leaders asked in a recent communication with members, “Can we build back greener?” Here is how the church’s Green Team answered that question and we share their thoughts with our other congregations, which may benefit from their experience. Hurricane Ian was a disaster for SCUCC; it is also an opportunity. Others who haven’t been similarly impacted can also consider such changes. “Can We Build Back Greener?” Sanibel Congregational UCC is a Creation Justice church based on our covenant in which we promise to “do all we can to protect as well the birds, animals and plants on this fragile barrier island” as well as to “serve and support each other.” The Green Team is seeking to help the church carry out this promise by returning to our previous practices in some ways -- such as recycling -- and going beyond them in others -- such as increasing our care in buying products like paper products. Although we will not be having our annual electronic recycling drop-off this year because we think most of what would usually be recycled was probably lost in Hurricane Ian, we want to re-establish our normal recycling practice. Our office manager has ordered new recycling bins and will put signs on them indicating what is recyclable in Lee County. She has also ordered toilet paper, paper towels and napkins that are made from 100% recycled paper and neither contain chemicals involved in fragrance nor have been bleached with chlorine. We would like to minimize the use of plastic, especially single use, so rather than using bottled water, Jenny has also bought pitchers that filter our tap water.