How To Encourage Your Children To Recycle

Have you ever gone to empty a garbage can in your home and noticed a recyclable in the garbage? Although recycling is a priority for you, it may not be a priority for all the members of your family. How to encourage people to recycle, especially your family and your children, becomes essential. Consider the following tips on how to promote and encourage recycling within your household.

Teach The Benefits Of Recycling

A child is not going to have the inherent world knowledge necessary to understand the importance of recycling. You need to explain it to them in terms they can understand. Consider looking for a book at the library that is aimed at kids. Websites such as Parenting.com have online games for kids that show them how to recycle. Talk to them about saving polar bears at a level that is age appropriate. Teach them why you recycle and why you think it is important for every member of the family to recycle.

Provide Opportunities

Put recycling bins in places that your child can access. Consider having the kids make recycling bins for their rooms out of old shoe boxes. They can use markers and crayons to decorate the bins however they like. Find a good location in their room for the bin. Tell them to put pieces of paper or empty water bottles in the recycle bin. At minimum make sure you have a place where your child can put recyclables on each level of the house. That way when the toilet paper roll is empty they will deposit it in the recycling bin instead of the trash can.

Demonstrate

Children will follow the lead of their parents. If they see their parent demonstrating a certain behavior, they will be more likely to repeat the same behavior. Be sure you are recycling at every opportunity and talking about it with family members as much as possible.

Even young children can learn about the importance of recycling. They can learn that it is something that your family thinks is important. A young child can keep an eye out for items that belong in the recycling bin. Take the steps outlined above to get your family recycling together!