We encourage congregations to consider taking part in the following campaigns:
Have you got the bottle?
Eco-Congregation Scotland is an official supporter of ‘Have You Got The Bottle?’.
“Eco-Congregation Scotland supports a Scottish deposit return system as a sensible step towards reducing litter and increasing recycling rates. This will benefit local communities, the natural world and help reduce carbon emissions.”
‘Have You Got The Bottle?’ is a campaign led by the Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland (APRS) to introduce a deposit return system for cans and plastic and glass bottles. Launched in September 2015, it has quickly built momentum and support for a Scottish deposit return system, which has been proved in other countries to reduce waste, tackle litter, boost jobs, increase recycling and tackle climate change. The campaign calls on the Scottish Government to bring in a deposit return system under the powers already passed as part of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.
A poll released in May 2015 demonstrated overwhelming public support for a deposit return system: 78.8% of those polled backed a deposit return system for Scotland, while just 8.5% opposed it. Research published earlier this year by the Scottish Government and Zero Waste Scotland demonstrated that a deposit return system for Scotland would be feasible, and in countries like Germany, where deposit return was introduced a decade ago, recycling is close to 99%.
Click here to read the top 10 facts about deposit return schemes.
For further information visit www.haveyougotthebottle.org.uk.
Earth Hour
Earth Hour is an annual event run each March by WWF.
“Earth Hour is the single, largest, symbolic mass participation event in the world. Born out of a hope that we could mobilize people to take action on climate change, Earth Hour now inspires a global community of millions of people in 7,001 cities and towns across 152 countries and territories to switch lights off for an hour as a massive show of concern for the environment.”
Each year Eco-Congregation Scotland encourages churches to take part. Last year over 100 congregations took part.
For further information visit www.ecocongregationscotland.org/earthhour
Fast for the Climate
“Stand with thousands of others fasting for action on climate change. A growing movement of youth, environmentalists and people of faith are showing their strength of commitment by going without food once a month to call for world leaders to do more to solve the climate crisis. Show your support.”
For further information visit fastfortheclimate.org