SUMC to Offer Free Water Bottle Refilling Station, Recycling Service at Black Walnut Festival

The Stockton United Methodist Church (SUMC) will provide a water bottle refill station at this year’s Black Walnut Festival, courtesy of its Creation Care Ministry.

For the past six years, the Creation Care Ministry’s Go Green Team volunteers have managed recycling units during all three days of the Black Walnut Festival. Volunteers collect and sort dozens of bags, separating plastic drink containers from aluminum, glass, and non-recyclable waste mistakenly placed in recycling bins.

This year, they decided to reduce the volume of plastic water bottles they haul out of the park by offering a free water bottle refill station. SUMC and the Go Green Team encourage festivalgoers to bring refillable water bottles and visit the SUMC booth for free, cold, filtered water. Stockton’s recycling vendor, D & B Disposal, LLC, does not accept plastic bottles with caps attached, so uncap and empty plastic beverage bottles before depositing them in the recycling units. Deposit the caps in a nearby trash can.

Things like food waste, paper napkins, toys, plastic containers #3-6, straws, plastic lids, and caps all contaminate the recyclable items. Dispose of such materials in adjacent trash cans.

About BWF Recycling Initiative

The Go Green Team serves our community and stewards God’s good creation by collecting recycling at this community festival, an act of discipleship. They are able to do so because the Stockton Community Foundation awarded them a generous $1,000 grant to purchase the recycling units in 2019, and like-minded donors filled the gap to pay for the units. Volunteers devote many hours to provide this free public service.

For more information about the Creation Care Ministry and the Go Green Team, visit https://www.stocktonumc.org/about-creation-care.

About Stockton United Methodist Church

Stockton United Methodist Church is a vibrant faith community whose vision is to love God and love others. Sunday school classes for children, tweens, and adults are at 9:45 a.m., and worship service is at 10:45 a.m.