First Parish Green Commitment

As a Green Sanctuary-accredited congregation, First Parish has made a commitment to respect and care for our planet Earth.

At First Parish coffee hours and events, we use

• cloth napkins
• fairly traded organic coffee and tea
• real dishware
• real silverware

In our kitchen, we use

• non-toxic, responsibly sourced cleaning products
• chlorine-free, plant-based dish detergents
• eco-friendly hand soap

In our restrooms, we use

• essential oil-based air freshener
• reusable cloth towels
• eco-friendly hand soap
• paper products made from 100% recycled paper

In our sanctuary, we use

• programmable thermostat
• projection of service components (music, readings, graphics) to reduce paper and printing

Throughout the church, we use

• green (solar) electricity
• energy efficient light bulbs
• eco-friendly cleaning products
• practices that reduce waste of resources (natural light, use of both sides of paper, water conservation)

First Parish recycles paper, cardboard, and Styrofoam and hosts a community-wide metal recycling drive annually.

We encourage individual members to support these practices in church and to strive to incorporate them into daily life.

Being a Green Sanctuary is one of the ways we work toward a vision of healthier, more sustainable future.

As a recognized Green Sanctuary, we live with a deep awareness of our climate crisis and the deep environmental injustices of our time. We commit to four practices, grounded in Unitarian Universalist principles:

• Environmental Justice: We partner with marginalized communities who are hit first and hardest by environmental crisis.  In partnering with these communities we are able to address human and environmental needs at the same time.
• Worship and Celebration: As we work together towards a cleaner, more just and sustainable world, worship inspires our work and reminds us of what is most sacred and most true.
• Religious Education: Our workshops and programs for all ages shape attitudes and build practices that are sustainable and spiritually-grounded.
• Sustainable Living: We treat the world more gently by using fewer resources and being mindful of the choices we make, both as a congregation and as households.

We invite all who share these values to join us on this journey of connection, sustainability, and hope.

Green Sanctuary Committee Chairs: Deb Baumgarten (catsmeow908@verizon.net)

Learn more at: https://www.uua.org/environment/sanctuary.