The St. James’ Green Gang shares information and ideas with Parishioners on ways to support the Fifth Mark of Mission of the Anglican Church of Canada: “To strive to safeguard the integrity of Creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth.”
Based on the concept of “Avoid, Reduce, Re-use, Recycle, Upcycle” we encourage recycling, composting and the use of environmentally friendly cleaners and products both throughout the church and at home. We have an ongoing “bottle drive” which supports the purchase of environmentally friendly cleaning products for the church including the St. James’ All Purpose Cleaner, purchasing extra recycling bins and rain barrels.
Composting at the church has been particularly successful with the resulting compost being used by the Garden Group in the church gardens. We work to reduce the use of all single-use plastics, encouraging the use of reusable water bottles, eliminating plastic cutlery and encouraging the use of reusable items such as grocery bags. We support reducing our carbon footprint with the use of LED lighting, thermostat control, providing a bicycle rack and supporting advocacy initiatives.
Lori and James Colbeck