Our Services/Programs
Ballona Wetlands Restoration
Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life of Southern California (CoejlSC) and the Friends of Ballona Wetlands offer an exciting opportunity for education, service learning, and community building. Through the program, participants of all ages can join in the ecological restoration of the area, and/or learn about the cultural and natural history of Ballona, along with the functions and importance of our rare coastal wetlands.
Green Sanctuaries Program
One of the things on which all religions agree is the importance of acting responsibly towards all of God’s creation. The Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life of Southern California (CoejlSC) and the Interfaith Environmental Council (IEC) seek to unite the various religious institutions in the Los Angeles area through this common commitment to protect and conserve the Earth and its natural resources and to promote environmental justice by caring for those people who experience the greatest impact from ecological degradation.
IEC is working in partnership with CoejlSC to educate and activate our greater faith community in order to respond to the pressing and complex environmental challenges that we all face today; such as a lack of sufficient clean energy generation, the need for additional water and energy conservation, the need for greater environmental justice, and building effective strategies for resource sustainability. Our fundamental goal is to implement sound and equitable environmental practices within our communities and their institutions, and to instill the principle of environmental stewardship in present and future generations.
We are committed to collaborating with the many diverse communities of faith in order to promote this environmental consciousness and affect behavior change. To this end, the IEC has developed a comprehensive pilot program focusing on conservation, effective use of natural resources, and other environmentally friendly initiatives called Green Sanctuaries.
Green Sanctuaries (the pilot program) is being implemented at 16 churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, and other prominent affiliated faith institutions throughout the City of Los Angeles. It will serve as a model of environmental action to the various communities of Los Angeles. It will go beyond merely instituting environmentally friendly measures in the faith institutions; it will exhort Los Angeles’ hundreds of thousands of congregants to implement such measures in their own homes and businesses.
The four projects within the Green Sanctuaries program are: (1) the Green Eternal Light Project, (2) the Green Facilities Project, (3) the Greening Guide and Curriculum Development, and (4) the Interfaith Environmental Youth Task Force. After successfully implementing the program at the 16 pilot institutions and evaluating its successes, the IEC will expand the program to include additional faith institutions throughout Los Angeles and elsewhere.
While the pilot program focuses on the 16 institutions mentioned above, we hope that you will work towards becoming a Green Sanctuary by calling on CoejlSC to help you.
Havdalah Hikes
Highlight the connection between Jewish values and environmental responsibility. CoejlSC will come to your synagogue and lead a Havdalah Hike where members can create a spiritual experience through Judaism and nature.
HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE SITE OPEN AT UCLA
City residents who have paint, motor oil, pool and garden chemicals, electronics or other dangerous materials can now safely dispose of these materials at the newly opened UCLA S.A.F.E. Center for household hazardous waste. The facility is now open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. It is located at 550 Charles E. Young Dr. West (just south of Strathmore on campus). Electronic waste is only accepted on Saturdays. For more information, call 1-800-988-6942.
Inkjet and Toner Recycling Program
CoejlSC can make recycling your inkjet, toner, and fax and copier cartridges really simple!
We will provide your institution with all necessary equipment to recycle, including prepaid shipping, labels, envelopes, and cartons.
We will supply a tabletop display that dispenses leak-proof, plastic, postage paid envelopes for your members to take home with them.
For large inkjet returns, we also provide packaging that can be used to safely return used inkjets in quantities of up to 24 inkjets per container which can be kept at your facility for your own use.
The packaging allows for easy packing while protecting the integrity of each cartridge ensuring the safe arrival to the recycling center.
In addition to inkjet recycling, we also encourage the return of larger items such as empty toner cartridges. Return methods consist of a standardized toner collection box that can safely accommodate up to 8-12 cartridges at one time. This collection box can be placed at a visible location where community members can dispense of used toner cartridges.
When your facility is running low on shipping materials, all you need to do is call CoejlSC and order more!
