Nick Welsh, Shop Manager of The Iona Community Welcome Centre on the Isle of Iona, shares her monthly book recommendations. This month Nick is reflecting on how important care of the planet is to her.
Misusing recycling bins
My children love the phrase ‘that triggers me’ and it does express my reaction to people putting the wrong items in recycling bins. The reaction it can cause in me is very different from my usual quite calm, placid and easy going nature. When there are clear signs what goes where, or what doesn’t, why do I still find the recycling contaminated with disposable coffee cups, ice-cream pots with food debris, and once even a bag of dog poo?
I think it is a sign that we all need to slow down and think a little before we throw away our rubbish. The wrong item in a recycling bin can contaminate the whole load of recycling which then has to go to landfill. We go to great pains in the shop to explain about how to recycle our ice-cream cartons (lid to recycling, pot to rubbish), to encourage customers to use our mugs or a reusable coffee mug rather than a disposable cup.
Compostable coffee cups
A lot of people do not realise that compostable disposable coffee cups should go into the rubbish if you do not have commercial composting available. You can put a small amount in your own compost but they take a long time to break down, and any more than a few really need commercial composting where machines are used to speed up break down, or be thrown in the rubbish. If they go in recycling, again they contaminate the whole bag.
Care of our planet comes by all of us taking small steps every day, which over time will become normal behaviour.
Deflated globe
During some morning services in the Abbey we use the all age worship wording. This includes the bringing forward of various items to visualize the words. When we say ‘the world belongs to God and all its people’ a large blow up globe is brought forward.
Earlier in the season the globe sustained a very slow puncture. Instead of repairing it we have incorporated it into the symbolism of the service, as a very stark reminder of what we as a species are doing to the planet.
We have an active eco group among the staff team here looking at both big and small ways we can care for the planet, from looking at our energy consumption, posters in the toilets advising on how to save water, and sharing our knowledge with guests and visitors, and many other ways.
Why bother?
It is easy to feel overwhelmed in the world today, thinking that the small actions we take will not make a difference, so why bother. Whenever I feel like this I think of the story of the man walking along the shore, every now and again throwing a stranded starfish back in the water. When asked why he was bothering as there were so many stranded creatures it wouldn’t make a difference, he replied by picking one up, throwing it back in the sea, and saying ‘it certainly made a difference to that one. ‘
Book recommendations
My book recommendations this month focus on hope and making a practical difference.
In Reason to Hope by David Osborne he inspires readers to explore a hope that is deeper than mere optimism, so we can live positively, even in the presence of so much negativity.
Caring for Creation Together by Emma Major, a powerful series of paintings and poems asking ‘how can we bring about positive change together’
A heart for Creation, worship resources and reflections on the Environment by Chris Polhill
All books are published by Wild Goose Publications and are available at Iona Books and in the Iona Community Shop.
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