IHM EarthCare Update

In 2015, Pope Francis wrote his encyclical, Laudato Si, as a call to swift and global care for Earth, our Common Home. Since then, our EarthCARE committee has been highlighting our commitment to the Laudato Si movement. As part of our care for Earth, we’re invited to bring into our everyday living an awareness of the long-term effects of plastics, which can take anywhere from 20 to 500 years to decompose. That awareness leads us to use our own reusable shopping bags at the grocery store as a way to cut down on plastics going to landfills. But what about the other plastic bags that at the moment are an unavoidable part of our everyday lives?

NexTrex is a grassroots movement that establishes recycling outlets for consumer collection beyond the traditional grocery store drop off. This movement aims to remove hurdles that prevent organic growth of local plastic bag/film recycling initiatives.

We are now partnering with St. Joseph’s Center in a PLASTIC RECYCLING SYSTEM. We can “Recycle Beyond the Bag” by adding these plastics to the list of what may be recycled:

FROM THE STORE: produce bags, store bags, ice bags

FROM YOUR PANTRY: Ziploc^© and other reclosable bags, cereal box liners, case overwrap, bread bags

FROM YOUR FRONT DOOR: newspaper sleeves, dry cleaning bags, bubble wrap, plastic e-commerce mailers

For those who live in the Scranton area or those coming to the Scranton area, you may collect any of the plastic articles listed above and periodically deposit them in the at the IHM Center or OLP Residence. When the boxes are full, Sister Donna Korba will take them to the recycling site and we will start to fill the boxes again. Saint Joseph’s Center will receive the benefits from this project.

It’s an easy way to do good for the planet and do good for our beloved IHM-sponsored Saint Joseph’s Center. Our EarthCARE committee is profoundly grateful for all of the individual and collective efforts to grow in mindfulness and in tender care for Earth, our Common Home.