Red Rose Reuses, participating in a tabling event at Open Streets in Lancaster

I always love the way the universe sends you the right people at the right time once you make up your mind about what it is you want to do. I met Melissa Snavely and her husband Doug when they presented a six-session class on plastics at F&M College in the spring of 2024. Having just retired, I was looking for volunteer opportunities in my community, and I soon joined their nascent College Park Climate Action Neighborhood — CPCAN, or CAN for short — dedicated to tackling climate change and the many-faceted problems it entailed, on a neighborhood scale.

Fueled by Melissa and Doug’s endless ideas and creative energy, CAN encourages neighbors to gather together and take action to improve their community. Melissa and Doug are true community organizers, managing programs, meetings with local officials, knowledge transfer sessions with neighbors, and the CAN website, which houses a wealth of information that helps city-dwelling Lancastrians align more closely with nature, benefiting all who reside there.

CAN hosts events using small grants from various organizations, including the River Pathways Connection event, which featured a giant plastic sculpture inspired by the original sculpture, “Giant Plastic Tap,” by artist and activist Benjamin Von Wong. Wong encouraged others to follow his lead, and soon Doug had created his own plastic tap for use at various events.

Big Plastic Tap outside of West Art in Lancaster for the River Pathways Connection event, August 2024.

CAN’s website provides tons of information on topics such as Community Wildlife Habitat Corridor restoration . . .

. . . and other environmentally-friendly events such as plant swaps, reading swaps, and local bike outings to Central Market. Through its efforts, CAN is raising awareness of some very pressing environmental issues, one neighbor at a time.

CAN neighbors bike to Central Market to do their Saturday shopping.

I’ve been working with Melissa and Doug since we first met last year, and the most recent CAN spin-off is Red Rose Reuses, the next logical advocacy step for the group.

As it turns out, plastics are overwhelming our ecosystem. Yet, rather than pushing pause, manufacturers are producing plastic at unprecedented rates with no real plan to manage the waste stream, a particularly thorny topic that repeats itself with a variety of products. How to combat that? For starters, educate, advocate, organize, and take action. That’s what Red Rose Reuses is doing in our little microcosm in Central PA.

I asked Melissa to tell us how this all got started and what the future is for CAN and Red Rose Reuses.

Tell us about CAN and how you got started.

I was introduced to the idea of CANs (Climate Action Neighborhoods) through my volunteer work on the Outreach Committee with RegenAll. I was tasked with creating a Playbook on how to start a CAN. I attended the monthly meetings of the already established Hamilton Park CAN and was excited about the idea of neighbors working together to tackle climate issues. I decided to start one in our neighborhood. I thought our College Park area was uniquely positioned to be successful.

How did Red Rose Reuses get started?

One of the first initiatives we undertook, based on what members seemed most interested in, centered on plastic. We developed a six-week program, applied for a grant to help cover speakers, materials, and other expenses, received the grant, and got started. Our second-to-last class was titled, Inspiration and Perspiration. Our speaker had been fighting single-use plastics for a very long time.  We were inspired by her, but also knew it would take some hard work to make any kind of change. Did we, as a group, want to take that on?  Our last session was on Education and Advocacy, where we discussed what that might entail. Do we take what we learned and go home and just worry about our own plastic, or do we get out in the community and help others understand the very real dangers of plastic in our environment, our homes, and, of course, now, in our bodies? We decided to take more public action, and Red Rose Reuses was born. 

Did you always have an interest in plastics? And why plastics over more traditional climate change issues?

I can’t say I’ve always had an interest in plastic, but it has become increasingly apparent that we are being overrun with plastic, and unnecessary plastic in particular. Things wrapped in plastic that had no need to be wrapped in plastic. Plastic in and on everything! As we were able to recycle less and less plastic, the problem became even more apparent. Completing a plastic audit really made me take stock of the problem, both avoiding excess plastic, but also the petrochemical industry’s complicity in creating and maintaining the flow of plastics, all while telling us we just needed to recycle better! 

Talk about the legislation Red Rose Reuses is trying to get passed in Lancaster City.

Red Rose Reuses aims to reduce and eventually eliminate single-use plastic bags in the City of Lancaster, and by request only, straws, plastic utensils, and other unnecessary single-use items.

In 2018, the City Council passed a resolution encouraging everyone to reduce their use of single-use plastic bags. A resolution is non-binding, so it felt good, but didn’t have any teeth behind it to make a real difference. COVID certainly set everyone back in many ways, but one of those was a return to relying even more on single-use plastics. We hope that through legislation, education, and outreach, everyone will reconsider the issues with single-use plastics, especially, and be encouraged to move away from unnecessary plastic bags. We also aim to provide structure, solutions, and support to facilitate this transition. Pittsburgh and Philadelphia have both enacted ordinances banning single-use plastic bags. It’s not rocket science; a lot of folks and businesses have already made the switch to reusable bags, but there are still many people who haven’t. We believe that if we can get the community on board with the low-hanging fruit of eliminating plastic bags, we can then proceed with more significant initiatives, such as removing plastic from our city schools. 

What is RegenAll, and how are they involved in the Climate Action Neighborhood?

RegenAll is a local non-profit working to help businesses, communities, and agriculture find meaningful roads to carbon neutrality.  I refer to RegenAll as the mother ship – we Climate Action Neighborhoods are doing our own thing, kind of orbiting around RegenAll, but within the mission statement of RegenAll. We are able to enjoy the benefits of their 501(c)(3) status, along with some other benefits that help us do the work we want to do. 

What makes plastics so dangerous to the water? To humans?

Plastic was a miracle material when first invented and has been put to good use. But along the way, corporate greed with no accountability created the monster that plastic is today. Plastic was and still is nearly indestructible. However, it does degrade over time due to use and weathering, and leaves behind dangerous microplastics as a byproduct. Microplastics and nanoplastics, even tinier pieces of plastic than microplastics, leach into our soil, water, and disperse into our air.  Plastic food packaging, cooking in plastic, wearing synthetic clothing, beauty products, stain-resistant materials, all contain harmful plastics and chemicals that eventually find their way into us, and or our water. That doesn’t even account for the overwhelming amount of plastic waste that ends up in our oceans every day. Not only is that waste unsightly, but aquatic life can’t always differentiate plastic particles from food. We’ve not only caused significant harm to sea life, but also poisoned the very fish we eat. Ironically, we have created a circular economy with plastic, but it’s going in the wrong direction! 

Do you think plastic is the most urgent issue of the day, environmentally speaking — one in which Red Rose Reuses can make a significant impact?

The most urgent issue of the day, environmentally speaking, is the one you’re willing to do something about. Pick your issue: plant more trees, fight for clean water, work on green infrastructure legislation, or protest climate injustice. I think we all find that people will fight for the issue that confronts THEM! I’ve only been dedicating myself to this work for the last year or so, but I meet many people who have been living plastic-free lives for years, and others who have been protesting, writing op-eds, and letters to their representatives for even longer.  It amazes me that they still have the energy to do the work. But they do, and they’re willing to put up with newcomers to the fight like me. So if your question is, do I think Red Rose Reuses can make some inroads in our quest to get folks to change their plastic habits, or get them to think about repairing what they already have verses buying something new, or just to consume less, then yes I do think we can make some inroads — bit by bit, person by person. I’m not as convinced that we’ll be able to change corporate minds or elect government administrations that believe in climate change, but you never know. 

What about PFAS? Do you have the same issues with PFAS as with plastics?

PFAS make me want to cry. Truly. We’ve just so thoroughly screwed ourselves. I can stop buying milk in plastic jugs or buy my produce without plastic wrap at a farm stand, but I’m not going to lie – I get overwhelmed by the enormity of PFAS and what they mean for all of us. 

Have you ever been a community organizer before? 

I have done some small organizing and committee work, but not to this extent. I am by nature a connector, whether it’s people or ideas, I enjoy bringing like-minded folks or compatible concepts together. The work that I do with the CAN has been the most satisfying work I’ve ever done. After retiring and taking some time to enjoy not having to show up for my job, doing a little traveling, welcoming our first grandchild, and surviving Covid, I was drawn to the idea of getting to know my community better while working for something I cared deeply about. I casually brought it up with my husband, Doug, and he said, “Okay.”  Neither of us anticipated how much we have both come to enjoy our CAN work, but also how much work it entails.  We’re our own worst enemies, of course, since we’re always dreaming up the next initiative over glasses of wine on the front porch. 

We live in chaotic times. People seem unable to agree on much of anything, not even the weather if it’s viewed through the lens of climate change. How do you engage people and keep them engaged in a society where the average attention span has shrunk to seconds and soundbites in our digital age?

Folks were very enthusiastic when we first started our CAN. We had an excellent turnout at our launch in January 2024, and the events that followed were equally successful. However, times became increasingly chaotic as the year drew to a close, significantly impacting our members’ ability to care for others or take on additional work. We’ve always been very cognizant of meeting folks where they are. We strive to keep our activities fun, flexible, and meaningful. If you need a month or two off from the CAN, then take it. Doug and I laugh that we’re like your dentist when you run into him at the market – you try to make excuses why you haven’t been flossing, when really, we’re just happy to say hello and glad to see you’re at least still brushing your teeth.  We find that whenever we feel we’re losing momentum, another wave of folks comes along that lifts us up and reminds us why we’re doing this. Satisfyingly enough, we’ve had two new initiatives start up this year that were instigated by newer members of our CAN. One is a monthly children’s book and curated art project that revolves around the care of the environment, and a new group that will help build rider confidence with biking in the City. To answer your question about attention span, neither of those groups has room or the need for electronic devices, although I’m sure Doug will be snapping photos of the inaugural bike ride and posting them on our Instagram account. He’s become a little addicted to gaining new followers! 

Thanks, Melissa. Keep on doing what you do. The world needs your remarkable talents. As American cultural anthropologist and author, Margaret Mead, said, “Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people to change the world. In fact, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Melissa and Doug at a kick-off event for VegFest.

ONE OF THE GOALS of the College Park Climate Action Neighborhood and its partners is to create an outdoor science classroom to be utilized by city residents, educators, and citizen scientists (young and old) to help better understand the correlation between our natural world and our man-made world.  Focusing on our trees, native wildlife habitat, rain gardens, composting, and our waterways, including stormwater drains and what flows into them, the outdoor classroom will demonstrate that our behavior is connected to the health of our ecosystem. Additionally, utilizing art, signage, and an online educational component, the importance of that connection will compel us all to take action in our own communities.

If you would like additional information about CAN, visit their website at: https://sites.google.com/view/college-park-climate- or contact them at: CollegeParkCAN@gmail.com

As always, thanks for reading!

pam lazos – 6.9.25