Living out Care of Creation
Solar Power at Our Lady of Good Counsel
In June, Our Lady of Good Counsel in Mankato, Minnesota, held a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of the most recent solar garden constructed by IPS Solar. The newest solar power is a 1.3 megawatt solar array with roughly 40,000 solar panels capable of creating enough energy to power 165 average Minnesota homes. During the ceremony, Sister Mary Kay Gosch said, “It is a great joy to come to this day recognizing that this small step of committing another portion of our land to this project can be one concrete way to give flesh to our commitment to Care of Creation.” To learn more about the sister’s environmental impact check out KEYC TV. To learn more about the history behind this particular solar system visit The Free Press.
Notre Dame of Elm Grove introduces TerraCycle program
Recently, sisters at Notre Dame of Elm Grove in Elm Grove, Wisconsin, introduced the community to a resource called TerraCycle that takes non-recyclables, like empty toothpaste tubes, empty lip balm tubes and old toothbrushes, and recycles or upcycles them. TerraCycle was founded in 2001 by a 20-year-old student at Princeton University and is currently the fastest growing green company in the world. Its aim is to keep waste out of landfills and contribute to a cleaner world. TerraCycle accepts a great variety of non-recyclables; sisters have chosen to collect containers from personal and oral care products. They are encouraging staff members, friends and family to participate in the program. The first shipment of non-recyclables was sent to TerraCycle during the week of July 9-13. Sisters are excited to see the large amount of non-recyclables and are encouraged by the commitment to the program. Due to the success of the TerraCycle program, sisters are researching other avenues for recycling other non-recyclables. To learn more about TerraCyle, visit www.terracyle.com.
Sancta Maria in Ripa’s plastic bag initiative
In early June, sisters at Sancta Maria in Ripa in St. Louis, began the project of eliminating the use of plastic bags. During the preparation for the province’s Assembly of the Whole, which took place at the end of June, the sisters discussed Care of Creation. This discussion led them to a United Nations YouTube video about plastic in the oceans. At that moment the sisters agreed to find a solution. Sisters started using reusable canvas bags, eliminating straws and encouraging the use of reusable containers instead of baggies. Once these initiatives were in place, sisters realized the cleaning crew were using large trash bags for dirty towels and mop heads prior to laundering. These trash bags were exactly what the sisters were trying to eliminate, so Sister Avila Markiewicz, a seamstress was asked to create drawstring laundry bags for the St. Louis campus. Now the dirty towels and mop heads are placed in a reusable and washable bag. According to Sister Patricia Gravemann, Administrator, “The sisters are doing their part to stop the use of unnecessary plastic.” To learn more about plastic in the ocean and its effect on the environment and animals watch the U.N. YouTube video.