environment
Recycling program wins kudos
The Unitarian Universalist Church of the Lehigh Valley in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, has won the city's Green Ribbon Award for Recycling. The congregation has implemented a full recycling program, including cardboard, plastic bottles, aluminum and steel cans, office paper, magazines, printer cartridges, and florescent light tubes. The congregation was featured in the city's quarterly recycling newsletter, which goes to every business and residential address in the city. It will also be featured in a TV commercial to be made by the city recycling center.
Sidney Stevens, chair of the congregation's green space committee, said the congregation is becoming known for its recycling efforts and other “green” initiatives, and local environmental groups are beginning to ask to partner with it on various projects. She credits a dedicated group of members and church staff with initiating the recycling effort.
Other green initiatives the church has undertaken include a lecture series on environmentally sensitive building techniques, publication of a booklet of recycling and waste reduction tips, and a native plant sale. The church also purchases about a quarter of its energy from wind power.: 48