If you have recently invested in a recycling bin, you may be facing the question of how to entice kids and other family members to remember to recycle, rather than throwing everything in the garbage. Thankfully, recycling is easy and many kids will be more than willing to pitch in to help the environment. Here are a few tips to help kids remember to recycle:
Incentives
Reward kids when they remember to recycle. Provide small rewards, such as stickers or ice cream, after they have put a certain number of recyclable items in the recycling bin. This way, hold positive associations with recycling.
Teach about the environment
Kids will be much more likely to recycle if they know why recycling is important. Explain to kids that recycling saves energy, and is a helpful way of reducing waste in landfills. If you have time, you could help your kids start a campaign encouraging other kids to recycle.
Make a chart of what to recycle
If your kids are not sure what is recyclable and what is not, they will have a hard time recycling regularly. Make a chart of recyclables, including glass, metals, paper and plastics. Show kids examples of recyclable objects, and they will quickly begin to understand the difference between garbage and recyclable objects.
Check whether schools are recycling
Many schools now have recycling programs, which is a great way to help the environment while instilling recycling habits at home. Check to see if your school has a recycling program. If not, start a campaign to get recycling bins into your local school in order to teach more kids about the importance of recycling.