Today, Monday July 1st, 2024, begins our pledge to be “plastic-free” for the entire month of July and beyond. We seek to use alternatives to plastic containers, packaging, and other materials as we commit to the global initiative and challenge to reduce the impact that plastics have on our environment.
We ask that all who participate in our weekly volunteer activities at the Bird Homestead and Meeting House Conservancy on Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings, as well as our upcoming William Voris Archaeological dig, to bring water in a reusable container. Better yet, a repurposed peanut butter glass jar & metal lid, make for excellent mobile water containers. This will help us to do our part to eliminate or at the very least reduce the purchases of single-use plastic water bottles.
We have been using repurposed glass peanut butter jars in our biodynamic raised bed garden units at the Bird Homestead for more than five years. The plants in the raised beds are mostly dry-farmed (no watering of any of the plants). We do however insert glass jars upside down near the plants that need more moisture, such as out tomatillos. When the sun’s rays pass through the glass jars, condensation forms on the inside of the glass containers and the water droplets descend into the soil and feed the root system of those plants.
Other ideas include using corn husks (tamales), cabbage, collard and kale leaves to wrap your lunches and snacks for your culinary treats. When at the market, grocery store, fruit and vegetable store, bring your own containers for fruit and veggies instead of using their plastic bags.
For more information, as well as an opportunity to make your individual pledge to take the challenge in this global effort to help our natural world, visit the website https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/
We certainly appreciate your effort as we all try to help reduce the impact of petroleum based products and their disposal.
Be creative as a family and have fun at the same time!
Peace,
Douglas Carey
July 1, 2024
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