Activist heart

Katherine Kerns, of rural Ames, says if we all make minor changes in the way we consume single-use containers, the ripple effect will be profound.

‘Activist heart’ led to local woman’s ‘go green’

mentality

6 | FACETS | APRIL 2020 K atherine Kerns, of rural Ames, says if we all make minor changes in the way we consume single-use containers, the ripple effect will be profound. “I grew up in a household where my mom recycled a bunch, so that planted a seed early on about being resourceful,” she said.

A graduate of the University of Iowa, she is the founder of the downtown Ames-based store Miss Meyer’s Clothing Consignment. With a love of thrift, she now works at JB Knacker vintage shop in Gilbert.

“I shop thrift before I do any new shopping,” she said. Possessing an “activist heart” Kerns said while in college she was involved in social justice causes. In Ames, she’s an active member of Collegiate United Methodist Church and part of its Creation Care program.

Kerns said motherhood further opened her eyes to how wasteful consumer-driven products can be, especially single-use drink containers at restaurants and the myriad of packaging in which snack foods are sold.

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just makes it so easy to replace something quickly. You need to think about where it would end up if I threw it away,” she said. “Straws are what I call the poster child for single-use plastic, but if your cup is Styrofoam and lid is plastic, the straw isn’t the whole unit.”

Kerns and her husband Nathan have two children — Abram, 7, and Annie, 5, who attend Gilbert Elementary School. This gave Kerns the idea to approach the school about implementing ways in which it could reduce its eco footprint.

“She’d come to us last year about some ideas, and we really started with marker recycling in the building,” Principal Staci Edwards said. “At the beginning of this year she and teacher Katie Wallace and myself met to brainstorm ideas.”

The talks launched Gilbert Green, an educational program to inspire youth to be good stewards of the earth. Students use both sides of a sheet of paper, single-use container usage in the lunchroom has been curbed and youngsters have learned about the life cycle of a piece of

plastic.

But Kerns’ efforts are about more than getting people to recycle. “Recycling is a last option: rethink your choices, refuse single use containers, reduce consumption, reuse what you can, refurbish the old, repair before replace, repurpose, then recycle,” she said.

“There are a lot of resources that go into making something that we use for 20 minutes, and if we really understand that process, it’s a no-brainer that it’s a huge waste of resources. Convenience cannot be the leading factor of our choices.”

Kerns is a believer in practicing what she preaches. She makes her own soaps, uses cloth instead of paper towels and napkins, and she and her family never go anywhere without reusable cups and utensils for eating out. She brings two sets of bags: one to tote clean utensils and the other for the used. The Kerns family uses bamboobased toothbrushes, which are biodegradable. Bringing her own cloth or nylon bags to run errands is how she eliminates being reliant on plastic bags.

She said a delicate garment bag works well when picking up produce at the grocery store; she also saves netting from fruit bags. Purchasing products sold in glass rather than plastic containers is also key. Plastic containers in her home are converted to snack holders and are what leftovers are stored in after meals.

Kerns said those who feel overwhelmed by going green should start by making a few easy changes — and commit to them daily. “If I’m out and forget to bring my coffee (tumbler) I guess I’m not stopping for coffee,” she said.

Instead of relying on an endless stream of paper-based napkins and towels, Kerns has her family use bandanas, noting their absorbent quality and small size ideal for sticking in the washing machine alongside any load. She has a kitchen drawer full of colorful bandanas, perfect for all occasions and seasons.

Kerns said many people already have all-natural cleaning agents in their homes such as vinegar and baking soda. “Use what you have first,” she said.

To calculate your eco footprint, carbon footprint and water footprint, visit www.globalstewards.org/ecotips.htm. Follow Kerns on Instagram @kernsfamilyhome. She can be reached at gilbertgreen@ gilbertcsd.org.

“There are a lot of things we can control and react to. We all have a voice and the more people that get involved, it will force companies to change,” she said.

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