Eco - Church

Bishop's Cleeve

Bishop's Cleeve has been registered with an Bronze “EcoChurch” award.

Information from the Green Team
Recyclers Teracycle have partnered with pen manufacturers BIC to set up community pen recycling points. There is a collection bin by the door in Ryman's (stationers) at 11 The Promenade in Cheltenham.
Any brand of used pen, felt tip pen, highlighters, markers and correction fluid pots and pens can be donated.
There is a box in the foyer for your items so you don't have to travel to Cheltenham.

Tewkesbury

Tewkesbury church has registered with silver “EcoChurch” award – An awards scheme for churches in England and Wales, who want to demonstrate that they care for God’s earth. We want to “go green” in all areas of our church life – from worship to building management, outreach to personal lifestyle.

At District and at Circuit level of the Methodist church we have committed to environmental policies. Indeed our own church has recommitted through our Green Group to a number of actions (which meets in church every second Saturday morning over coffee) including the following:

•  We will continue to work towards our Gold Eco award.
•  We will support and promote groups that we are closely linked with such as Fair Trade.
•  We will continue to host Green Events on our premises as well as have a presence at any such events in the locality.
•  Every week the notices will contain a ‘Planet health’ tip offered by our Green Group.
•  We will hold 8 services per year based on creation spirituality.
•  We will add a note to our letter which goes out to all preachers requesting that prayers for our planet be included in every service.
•  We will redouble our recycling efforts both personally and as a church.

 All the work we do together will count towards a Bronze, Silver or Gold Eco-Church Award.

One aspect of this in which we can all help is what we do to recycle and reuse items. Currently, we have two blue recycling bins in the corridor outside the main kitchen, and a small recycling bin in the kitchen at the front of the church. These bins will take plastic bottles, cans, paper, cardboard (including biscuit boxes when used at coffee mornings).

There are also waste food bins in each kitchen. We urge you to use these bins, and think about what you are binning before it all goes into the land-fill rubbish bin. We will label the bins and put some additional notices in the kitchens to bring this to the attention of those hiring our premises.

In the Church car park we have two wheelie blue recycling bins, 2 wheelie green bins for general waste, and one wheelie brown bin (for garden waste and flowers but NO paper!).  We would ask that you as individuals think carefully about what you can recycle, and also church groups when disposing of items no longer of use. If you have any queries or want help with items that might need to be taken to the Stoke Orchard Recycling Centre, then please see either of us.

We endeavour to purchase environmentally friendly products such as photo-copying paper, and hand towels and toilet tissue, and we intend to extend this to cleaning products as well.

If you have any further suggestions as to how we can avoid waste, please let us know! You may find it interesting to have a look at the Main eco-church website.

We believe we are ready to apply for the Silver Award, but are working towards the next level. With your help we can do it!

Thank you and happy recycling!
            Patricia Turner and Jean Davies