Recycling for Kids and Keeping our Earth Green

Recycling for Kids, and teaching them ways for reducing, reusing and recycling takes time and effort. It is easier for us to just throw things in the trash than to recycle. However, we need to take positive action if we want to preserve our environment the best we can for our children and future generations. That action needs to start with us! Our children watch what we do, and copy us (the good things and the not so good things!). So it is important that we take action, sort out the different recyclable items and allow our children to copy some good habits.

Conserving Water.

Fresh water is not unlimited! We only have so much, and we need to look for ways to conserve this valuable natural resourse. Encourage our children while they are still young, to use good water conserving habits. Half a bath of water cleans just as well as a full bath. Teach them to turn the faucet off while brushing their teeth, they only need the water running after they've finished brushing and are rinsing.

Cycling.

Purchase a bike for your child and encourage him to ride, not just for fun, but also for when he is going to school or after school activities. This gives him his daily exercise, a saving on fuel and car expenses, and gives him a feeling of independence. While doing these everyday activities, explain why you do things like this, eg riding his bike instead of driving in the car. Help him to understand the advantages to himself, the family and the environment, and encourage him to look for eco-friendly ways to do things.

Compost Bin.

Setting up a compost bin in your backyard is an excellent way to recycle the biodegradable waste that we produce: like vegetable and fruit peelings, weeds and eggshells. When inside the house, have separate containers for those food scraps that can, and those food scraps that can't be recycled in the compost bin. You can even label the containers "Non-biodegradable" and "Biodegradable". Help him to understand the difference between the two, and encourage him to work out which goes in which bin. Give rewards like stickers or bookmarks everytime he uses the correct containers for food scraps.

Recycling for Kids.

Recycling for Kids is not very difficult at all. Just as long as you explain to them the reasons for doing so, they will very quickly get into the habit of looking at which refuse should be recycled, whether they be out or at home. And more importantly, observing and seeing that you (their parents) recycle would encourage them do it to also. A good example always encourages good practice.

Good Habits Start When They Are Young.

Although some of this seems like commonsense, children need to be encouraged and reminded to do them, so that good conservation habits start while they are very young and carry them through to adulthood. Children learn best when they are enjoying what they're doing and having fun, and learning about our environment and how best to look after it should be a fun learning experience for them. Encourage your child to want to look after our environment, after all, he has to live here too.