Our motto is "Bal Tashchit"  -  Do Not Waste.  We are implementing ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle at our congregation by

• commercially composting and recyling, with the aim of surpassing Montgomery County's goal of recycling 50% of our waste
  
• training our custodians, kitchen staff, administrative staff, teachers, students & congregants to use our compost, recycling & trash bins correctly
  
• buying 50% of our energy from wind power providers
  
• having "green" religious school and preschool activities (making light switch covers, Tu b'Shvat planting, Youth Group E-cycling event, CFL-bulb sales)
• establishing a "Do Not Idle" goal in the driveway and parking lot
• supporting a local farm (CSA - Community Supported Agriculture) for the 2nd year in a row, together with Bethesda United Methodist Church-- our neighbor across the street
  
• working with GWIPL --Greater Washington Interfaith Power & Light-- an organization that brings people together from all faith communities to discuss best green practices
• supportive rabbis, executive director & board
• reminders of Scholar-in-Resident Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin's theme of "enoughness" in Judaism, about the modesty to appreciate what's here, what one already has rather than constantly striving for more (reducing consumption)
  
• documenting these efforts  in order to be certified as a "Green Business" by Montgomery County's Chamber of Commerce
• hosting this webpage to promote what we're doing. 

update!  CSA - COMMUNITY SPONSORED AGRICULTURE 2010

In 2009, Beth El teamed up with congregants from Bethesda United Methodist Church (BMUC) to start our first CSA, with Fresh & Local CSA of Shepherdstown, WV.   Last December, shareholders voted to continue our support of F&LCSA.  Scroll down to bottom of this page for photo and description of one week's share (this web page is a work in progress).

WHAT TO EXPECT AND NOT EXPECT FROM THE CSA EXPERIENCE

 You are already aware that you won't have a say about what shows up in your grocery bag every week. That's part of the fun-- the surprise of figuring out just what are those vegetables and how to prepare them.  

There are other vagaries connected with small farm production.  Putting up with them is part of truly supporting an alternative to industrial farming.    Organic produce is not an upfront bargain.  You will not get an incredible "deal" over Whole Foods or My Organic Market, but your CSA produce will have been picked within hours and will not have used tons of fuel to be harvested and flown in from California, Florida or Chile. Unlike a supermarket, a CSA won't likely be able to supply alternative sources of produce should there be a drought or too much rain, if there are labor problems, or if the tractor's engine needs to be replaced.  If the outcome isn't great you share that with the farmers, just as you share their bounty.  

If you are investing in a small local farm as much out of the principle of wanting to support an alternative to industrial farming as you are in wanting to eat locally grown, sustainably-raised, delicious produce, then the principle alone may be enough to sustain you through a bad season, should one occur.  In addition, the accessibility to the actual farm, bringing your family, or going with a group from Beth El to to help plant, weed, harvest, eat, schmooze and to learn more about organic farming practices is unique opportunity unavailable through industrial agriculture.            

*** MINDFUL WASTE  - Composting at Beth El

"Beating swords into ploughshares" has morphed into the environmental arena:  we are transforming Beth El's estimated 15 tons of annual food waste into nourishing soil.   

Beth El has hired a waste management company called EnviRelation to compost our food waste.  It picks up our food trash every other day and takes it to a commercial composting site, which over time transforms our garbage into fertile soil to be used for gardening.  See http://www.envirelation.com/tutorial_1.html for more info.

We need your help.  Please be mindful of what you do with your waste at shul.  Ask yourself:  is it compostable?  Recyclable?  Trash? 

 

TABLE OF WHERE TO PUT WASTE @ BETH EL                      

GREEN COMPOST BINS "If it grows, it goes" All food Paper napkins Paper towels Paper cups Wax paper cups Paper doilies Tissues Paper wrap of foods Soiled cardboard

BLUE RECYCLING BINS Pay attention to the number inside the triangle All plastic bottles, regardless of number in triangle ANY PLASTICS labeled 2-5 in the triangle, including little Kiddush cups Foil (bunched tightly) Foil pans (rinsed) Glass bottles & jars Plastic tubs & cups (i.e. yoghurt, margarine, mayo) Metal and aluminum cans Plastic milk jugs Clean paper Clean cardboard

BINS MARKED TRASH ONLY Reduce, because this can't be reused or recycled Styrofoam Plastics labeled 1 or 5 (i.e. clamshells for salads, strawberries, cake, etc.) Plastic drink stirrers Plastic flatware Plastic wrap Plastic bags Chip & pretzel bags Drink cartons (these are plastic lined cardboard, not waxed) Photos

 

To help you figure out which plastics can & cannot be recycled, see: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcrecycles/sets/72157606218434552/show/with/2734980447/

 

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MINDFUL IDLE TIME -        - waiting in the car @ Beth El

Polluting the air and needlessly burning fuel is most apparent while waiting in the carpool line before picking-up riders from BEPS, Religious School or services.  We will be installing signs along our driveway to gently remind you not to idle your car whenever possible. 

A general rule is to turn off your engines after 30 seconds of idling.

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DO NOT THROW AWAY CFL BULBS INTO THE TRASH!

Worried about the mercury in burned-out CFLs & how to dispose of them safely and locally?  Take them to "MOM's" (My Organic Market) at:

 

 

 

 

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WASTE SORT - Y2K9

 

Link to report is in the works.

  

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Link to Green America's "Ten Things You Should Never Buy Again" www.coopamerica.org/programs/shopunshop/unshopping/neverbuy.cfm

 

ADDITIONAL STEPS BETH EL HAS TAKEN TO "Go Green"

 

-- All bulbs in the shul are either compact fluorescent (CFL) or the similarly efficient T8.

-- All thermostats are programmable and have been programmed.

-- 50% of electricity purchased by Beth El comes from wind power.

-- The paper that Beth El uses in the office has 30 percent recycled content.

-- Old flyers are reused in the office to print documents for internal use (instead of throwing out or recycling the old flyers).

-- Recycling bins are now all over the synagogue. Large containers are located outside near the trash dumpster. All kinds of paper are recycled (office, newspaper, cardboard). Co-mingled glass, plastic, and aluminum are recycled. Just as at home, you can help. Become familiar with what can and cannot be recycled. Rather than create more trash, please look for the bins, and recycle whenever you can.

-- To reduce mailing costs and the use of paper, donations to Beth El can now be made on-line through the Beth El web site. On-line reservations and payment for events are coming.

-- For each CFL sold by USY/Boy Scouts at Beth El, GWIPL donates a CFL to a low-income congregation in the Washington area.

--We are gradually eliminating the use of disposable plates, cups, and utensils; and provide convenient coffee cup collection points throughout the building to facilitate nightly washing by custodians in our energy-efficient dishwasher.    As we lessen our congregation’s impact on the environment, you can take some of the same steps at home.

Look for more Green Tikkun Committee happenings at Beth El and more information in the Scroll.  If you have questions or ideas, or would like to participate, please contact Michele Lieban Levine at info@bethelmc.org.