Teaching Children About the Importance of Recycling

All parents would say they want to leave a better place for their children. While it may feel like we don’t have control what happens to the environment, one of the best ways to do your bit towards a healthy planet in the future is to teach the little ones the importance of recycling. This way our loved ones will grow up with an an appreciation of recycling and a strong awareness of waste.

The earlier good recycling habits are picked up, the easier it is to transfer them into your daily life. Environmentally friendly waste disposal company Envirowaste are here to offer some ways to help our children think a little greener.

1.  Littering in the park

Go down to your local park, or somewhere you can highlight the amount of litter on the floor. Explain how this king of littering can affect wildlife such as bird, who may eat the litter and get sick. If you have the chance to go to the beach, point out the amount of litter that floats into the ocean, causing pollution and harm to marine life.

2.  Using recycling bins

Sorting out recyclables can actually be made into a fun activity for young children. Let them decorate the different bin signs of what can go into them. Then give them some items to practise the sorting process. Explain how and why it’s important to sort everything into the correct bin so it can all be sorted easily when it gets taken to the recycling facility.

3.  Explore your house

When we recycle we mostly focus on kitchen items. But there are so many other rooms of the house where you can reuse and recycle. Have your children walk into the different rooms of the house and point out what they think can be reused or recycled. If you are not sure, the internet is there to help you out. Whether it’s old shampoo bottles in the bathroom, stuffed animals in the bedroom. Figure out they can be reused or recycled. For instance, old clothes and toys can be donated to charity For bigger items like fridges and sofa, companies like Envirowaste will help dispose of it in the most environmentally friendly manner.

This is a sure fire way to get children into the habit of recycling and thinking about what to do with items they no longer need.

4.  Make it fun

In your garden or the local park, set up a row of different recycling bins and split a bunch of kids up into teams. You now have a game of recycling relay. Each team will take turns running to the bins, depositing a different item in the appropriate container. Then they race back to tag their team mates, who will then pick up another item and run to the bin. The first team to recycle all the items correctly wins. For extra challenge, incorporate some items that can’t be recycled so they can learn what has to be binned.