Environmental Justice History and Zero Waste

3. Know Your Environmental Justice History and Become a Zero Waste Church

• Learn about the connection between toxic waste and racism. In addition to publishing the first report to document environmental racism throughout the country, the UCC Commission for Racial Justice was central to the birth of the environmental justice movement which developed in response to toxic dumping practices.
• Watch and discuss Van Jones’s Ted Talk entitled “The Economic Injustice of Plastic.” Garner additional insights from the Center for International Environmental Law’s report “Plastic & Climate: The Hidden Costs of a Plastic Planet.” This report highlights how “current greenhouse gas emissions from the plastic life-cycle threaten our ability to meet global climate targets.”  
• In Raleigh, North Carolina, Church of the Nativity has created an online resource to help church prevent waste through composting, reducing use, recycling, reusing, and more. Check out their 20 ways to become a Zero Waste Church. Additionally, look at how they invite members to take the zero waste message home by embarking on a year of intentional reflection and practice.