Trinity Cathedral, in downtown Cleveland, and its congregants are pioneers when it comes to social justice within the community and the world, and environmental justice is no exception. Stewardship over God’s Creation and sustainability are very important to Trinity Cathedral.

Mission

Educational Groups

The Knitting Pearls are active in knitting blankets for the newly baptized and those hospitalized, but they also have a cottage industry where they knit plastic grocery bags into sturdy, reusable totes.

Events

Green Building

Trinity Cathedral operates as environmentally responsible as it can.

• The 2002 renovation and building of Trinity Commons was a massive green undertaking spearheaded by the Environmental Task Force. It is a sustainable building, though LEED certification was not available when it was built.
• The process of constructing Trinity Commons was environmentally friendly. For example, a geothermal heating and cooling system was installed, recycled-content carpet and non-toxic glues, low-flow toilets, and CFLs are used.

Transportation

Waste Reduction

The Cathedral is trying to reduce its amount of paper use and waste.

• They’ve reduced the use of paper and Styrofoam cups as much as possible.
• The after-service coffee hour decided to use coffee mugs instead of disposable cups, and congregants donated a surplus of ceramic mugs for congregational use.
• Paper, plastic, and metal are collected throughout the Cathedral grounds for recycling.
• In order to reduce the amount of paper used, Dean Tracy Lind has encouraged interoffice and congregational communication via email.

Grounds

Trinity Cathedral sponsors a community garden.

• The primary purpose of the garden is to grow vegetables that are used in helping to feed the homeless at their program, A Place at the Table.
• A Place at the Table feeds around 200 homeless people every Sunday.
• Congregants work together to cultivate, tend, and maintain the garden.
• It adds a green space to the city and as it grows flowers as well, is also a beautifying feature within the city.

Purchasing

The congregation tries to incorporate environmental justice in its purchasing practices.

• The congregation does not purchase bottled water.
• It is working towards eliminating its use of disposables.
• In the past year they have switched to 100% post-consumer recycled paper products for all bulletins and church stationary.
• Low-toxicity cleaning products are used.
• Recycled paper products are purchased for use in restrooms.
• They promote the purchase of local food.

Involvement in Larger Initiatives

Trinity Cathedral and the Green Team work with different, larger initiatives for support in their ongoing greening process.

• The Green Team will be participating in the E4S faith-based SI Group.
• Trinity has worked with Interfaith Global Climate and Ohio Interfaith Power and Light.

Green Committee

The Environmental Task Force was recently reorganized into the Green Team.

• The main objective of the Environmental Task Force was to ensure that the renovation completed in 2002 was as environmentally sustainable as possible.
• The Green Team will continue the push for more greening efforts at the Cathedral and within the community.
• A small portion of the 25-member Green Team will be representing Trinity Cathedral in the Entrepreneurs for Sustainability faith-based SI group. The Green Team hopes this will help them in formulating a strategic plan to keep moving forward with green initiatives.

The Green Team has three Dream Goals:

• They want to implement a carpool system via email for congregants living in same neighborhoods. The 800-congregant Trinity Cathedral has active, regularly attending members from as far as Avon, Leroy, and Akron. This effort should reduce the carbon footprint of congregants.
• They would like to complete an energy audit, assess where they could conserve more energy, and possibly install a solar panel as a demonstration to the community on sustainable energy.
• They would like to have demonstrations for congregants of what they can do in their homes for a more sustainable lifestyle, such as the use and effectiveness of rain barrels. Along with this, they would like a green tip in the weekly bulletin so that every week people think about how to live as faithful stewards of the environment.

Contact: Rich Horton