Three Simple Ways That You Can Make Your Children Passionate About Recycling
Across the U.S. in 2013, recycling programs helped prevent nearly 90 million tons of material from entering landfills. If you're passionate about ensuring that this number continues to trend upward, it's time to involve your children. Your kids might hear about recycling but not necessarily practice it -- now is the time to make them keen recycling enthusiasts so that they carry this trend into their teenage years and even through adulthood. There are a number of ways that you can make recycling fun for your children, including these three strategies.
Visit A Local Facility
Some schools arrange field trips to local recycling facilities, but if your children haven't had this opportunity, take charge of it yourself. Call up your local facility and ask about visiting for a tour with your children. You'll be able to give your kids the chance to see how common household recyclable materials -- newspaper, cans, bottles and more -- are gathered in enormous bins; for young children, you can intrigue them by telling them that the cans and bottles from your own home are likely included in the enormous bins they see in front of them. You'll then be able to learn how the goods that are collected in curbside recycling programs are then used again for the benefit of the environment.
Supply Them With Their Own Bins
On the way home from the recycling facility, stop and buy each of your children a recycling bin for their rooms. Having a bin within easy access means that the child won't have the excuse of recycling not being convenient. For example, a child might not feel like taking a used yogurt container all the way downstairs and out to the garage to place in the recycling bin. When there's a bin nearby, recycling can ideally become second nature for each of your children.
Hold Weekly Contests
If you've found success in the past by using contests to get your children to perform their household duties, you can take the same approach with recycling. At the end of the week, have each child put his or her room's garbage bin on a scale -- the person whose bin weighs the least is declared the winner. You could also weigh the recycling bins and give the winning nod to the child whose bin is the heaviest. Think about the various ways you can reward the weekly winner. One way is to give him or her the week off from a regular chore, such as taking the garbage out.
For more ideas, contact local recycling services like Uribe Refuse Services Inc.
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