Just say "no" to Styro!

As people of God, we are given the task of being stewards of the earth and all that He has created. You don’t have to go too far in the Bible to find this message. “And God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves over the earth.” Genesis 1:28

This is a powerful statement, and in truth a huge responsibility – we are in charge of taking care of the entire world! As stewards of God’s creation, it is our responsibility to do all that we can to follow His message. It is in this spirit that we at Gethsemane have decided to no longer use or advocate the use of Styrofoam products here at the church. As an alternative, we ask that you strongly consider using the ceramic and glass dishes and cups, and to factor in the washing of dishes when organizing an event and cleanup. (If you are interested in volunteering to help with dishwashing, please let us know.)

Styrofoam is cheap, convenient and easy to use, but is also one of the worst products that can be introduced into our environment. Some facts about Styrofoam:

• By volume, Styrofoam products take up 25 – 30 percent of our entire landfill space.
• One Styrofoam cup takes 500 years to dissolve – not decompose, but dissolve into the earth where its effect on the ecosystem is unknown.
• Every year, America alone uses 25 billion Styrofoam cups – enough to circle the globe 436 times.
• A 1986 report from the EPA named the Styrofoam manufacturing process as the 5th largest creator of hazardous waste on the planet.

Styrene, the basic component of Styrofoam, has been classified as a possible human carcinogen by the EPA
In addition to the environmental impact, Styrofoam has been linked to health concerns such as skin, eye and respiratory irritation, gastrointestinal problems, depression, kidney function, fatigue and even links to cancer Styrofoam has been completely outlawed in Taiwan, Portland, and Orange County, California due to its harmful nature.

By not using Styrofoam, we are taking a small but important step toward providing a better environment for our future generations, and are setting a good example for our children and grandchildren to follow. Any questions or concerns you may have regarding the use of Styrofoam can be directed to the Pastors, Gethsemane staff, or Brian Furan at Bfuran@glconline.org