Platte Woods United Methodist Church

Sustainable Sanctuary Coalition

Green Teams Rally is set for Thursday, September 22, at Grace & Holy Trinity Cathedral downtown, 7-9 p.m. We have a great program featuring advice and tips from the very successful green team of St. Andrew’s Christian Church in Olathe. This should be just the thing to reenergize your Green Team and give you some workable new ideas. See the Sustainable Sanctuary website for more info. 

This year, we have seen historic droughts, heat waves and floods. We’re experiencing record-high temperatures across much of the United States. This extreme weather is being called the “new normal.” But there's nothing normal about it. The Climate Reality Project is launching with a groundbreaking, global event called 24 Hours of Reality. On September 14-15, we will bring the world together to reveal the full truth, scope and impact of the climate crisis. The entire 24 hours will be streamed live online from start to finish.     

Community of Christ Peace Colloquy -- Focus on the Environment
The 2011 Peace Colloquy will be held October 21–23 at the Temple in Independence, Mo., with the theme “Creating Hope, Healing Earth.” Join us for another exciting and spirit-filled colloquy of community building, learning, and encouraging each other as we pursue peace on Earth by fostering the healing of all of Creation.

Opportunities at PWUMC

·         We have two commingled recycling bins in the church parking lot. These bins accept a wide range of materials, including cardboard (flattened, no wax coating); aluminum cans, foil and pans (rinsed); plastic bottles (milk, juice, soda, water, detergent bottles and buckets); steel food cans (rinsed, aerosol cans must be empty); and phonebooks. Some of these items are not recyclable through the KCMO curbside recycling program. 

·         Two paper recycling bins are also located in the church parking lot. They will accept newspapers, office and school paper, magazines, catalogs, shredded paper and mail. This is also a fundraising activity that brings in money to PWUMC. 

Opportunities at home, work, school, etc.

·         Practice precycling—buy in bulk or buy items that are not packaged in plastic wrap.

·         Many chain stores that ship packages, including UPS, Mail Boxes Etc., Postal Annex, FedEx and Kinko’s will reuse your unwanted plastic packing peanuts. Call ahead and check it out.

·         Upcycling (a new word) – don’t spend money on anything unless you can reuse it again for another purpose (also called repurposing).

·         Electronics can be recycled at Best Buy Stores. They will take any electronics up to a 32 inch T.V. If the item has a screen (which contain poisonous chemicals), you pay $10, but you receive a $10 gift certificate. 

·         Glass: Ripple Glass has locations all over the area. Check out their website for a bin near you.

·         Plastic Shopping Bags: Many local groceries and Walmart have bins for recycling plastic shopping bags.

·         Compact Fluorescent Bulbs: Recycle these at Home Depot.

GREEN LIVING AT HOME OR OFFICE 

·         Use aluminum water bottles, cups or drink glasses instead of plastic water bottles.  Drink your coffee from an insulated container or coffee cup instead of a plastic or paper cup. (See the Container Recycling Institute website for more information.)

·         Ban paper plates, paper napkins, plastic utensils and plastic take-home boxes.

Recipes for Cleaners:

a.     All-Purpose Cleaner — 2 cups white distilled vinegar, 2 cups water, and 20 to 30 drops essential oil (optional). Tip:  Warming in microwave until barely hot will boost cleaning power for tough jobs. Only microwave in a glass container.

b.      Creamy Soft Scrub — 2 cups baking soda, ½ cup liquid castile soap, 4 teaspoons vegetable glycerin (preservative), 5 or more drops essential oil (optional -- try tea tree, rosemary or lavender). Mix together and store in a sealed glass jar; shelf life is 2 years. Tip: For exceptionally tough jobs, spray with vinegar first -- full-strength or diluted. Let sit and follow with scrub.

c.      Drain Opener — ½ cup baking soda and ½ cup vinegar. Pour baking soda down the drain and follow with vinegar. Cover and let sit for at least 10 minutes.  Flush with boiling water. Tip: Prevent shower from clogging by using a drain trap to catch hair.

d.      Furniture Polish — ¼ cup olive oil, ¼ cup white distilled vinegar, 2 to 3 drops of lemon essential oil or 2 teaspoons lemon juice (optional). Shake well before using.  Dip a clean, dry cloth into the polish and rub wood in the direction of the grain. Use a soft brush to work the polish into corners or tight places. Tip: To remove water spots, rub well with non-gel toothpaste and wipe away with soft cloth. To remove scratches use 1 part lemon juice and 1 part olive oil and rub with soft cloth.

e.      Laundry Detergent — 1 cup soap flakes, ½ cup washing soda, ½ cup Borax.  Soap flakes can be made by grating your favorite pure vegetable soap with a cheese grater. Mix ingredients together and store in a glass container. Use 1 tablespoon per load (2 for heavily soiled laundry), wash in warm or cold water. For  soft water: use 1 cup soap flakes, ¼ cup washing soda and ½ cup Borax. For hard water: use 1 cup flakes, 1 cup washing soda and 1 cup Borax.  Tip: Add ½ cup white distilled vinegar for rinse as a fabric softener. Tip: For whites, use hydrogen peroxide instead of bleach. Soak your clothes for 30 minutes in the washer with ½ cup 20% peroxide, and then launder as usual. 

f.       Toilet Bowl Cleaner — Option 1. Sprinkle toilet bowl with baking soda, drizzle with white distilled vinegar, let soak for at least 30 minutes and scrub with toilet brush. Option 2: Add ¼ cup Borax to bowl and let sit for at least 30 minutes.  Swish with a toilet brush and then scrub. A few drops of pine oil can be added for increased disinfecting. Tip: Let ingredients soak overnight to make for easy scrubbing, especially on persistent stains like toilet bowl rings.