Each year millions of Christians fast or give up something for Lent. This year many Christians opted to give up single-use plastic because of its destructive environmental impact. More than 300 million tons of plastic is created each year and around half is single-use plastic. A total of 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic has been created since the 1950s.
Much of that waste ends up in our oceans and waterways. Eight tons of plastic is dumped in the sea every minute. This plastic is forming massive plastic patches on the surface called gyres. It is also ubiquitous beneath the waves. This plastic does not biodegrade making it deadly to wildlife. The problem is so vast it is interfering with the aquatic food chain.
As reported by the BBC, Ruth Knight, the Church's environmental policy officer, said, "The Lent challenge is about raising our awareness of how much we rely on single-use plastics and challenging ourselves to see where we can reduce that use...It ties in closely with our calling as Christians to care for God's creation," she added.
Anglican churches are increasingly leveraging their reach to encourage responsible environmental stewardship. This is consistent with the fifth mark of mission that calls us to safeguard the integrity of creation and to sustain life on the earth.
The Church of England sent tips to reduce plastic consumption focusing on single-use plastic in each of the Church's 42 dioceses. The calendar had a weekly theme to reduce plastic waste.
In a statement, the Diocese of London credited David Attenborough's Blue Planet series for bringing the plastic problem into public awareness.
Lent may be over but plastic waste remains. There are solutions but we require ongoing efforts to make a serious dent on the problem. The encouragement of church leaders and the involvement of Christians in this effort is a positive step in the right direction. Now we need to spread the word and take these laudable actions and make them part of our daily routines.
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