Lent, and of course Easter are an important part of the Christian calendar. This year Lent started on the 5th of March. The season of Lent lasts for forty days (not including Sundays).
It is a time when Christians reflect and prepare for the celebrations of Easter. Some people fast, eat frugally or give up treats following the example of Jesus, who fasted for forty days in the wilderness.
This year the congregations of St Vincent´s Anglican Chaplaincy, Algarve are striving to give up using as much plastic. Our planet faces many problems like climate change, global warming, crop destruction and deforestation.
Cutting down on our use of plastic, especially single-use plastic, is something we can do to help.
Here are 10 suggestions from their ´Lent Plastic Challenge´ if you´d like to join in:
- Bring your own reusable bags Plastic bags and produce bags in particular are often used for minutes before being discarded. Most plastic bags are not recycled, ending up in landfills.
- Buy in bulk to minimize or eliminate packaging. Find a brand you like and try and get it in bulk.
- Use a razor with removable blades Disposable razors and razor blades are two of the biggest contributors to plastic waste.
- Check labels of toiletries Did you know some facial scrubs & toiletries products contain tiny plastic beads? Avoid anything with “polyethylene” listed as an ingredient.
- Use bar soap instead of liquid hand soap This is an easy change to make, if you are feeling keen you can even make your own soap bars.
- Shop at markets Fresh food markets are not only often cheaper and fresher than supermarkets but they sell fruit and vegetables loose. Don’t forget to take your reusable bags.
- Choose natural fibres. Synthetic fibres create microfibre pollution when washed. When buying new clothes look for organic cotton, wool and other natural fibres.
- Make it from scratch. Try to cook as much as possible from scratch and take your own sandwiches and snacks when you go out.
- Aoid wet wipes. These contain plastic and don´t breakdown like toilet roll despite often being described as flushable.
- Acquire necessary plastic items used instead of new. Look for second hand shops, charity shops and sharing groups locally.
For more information about services and all that goes on at St Vincent´s Anglican Chaplaincy check out their website at www.stvincentsalgarve.org
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