Tips to get your child to recycle

Protecting our planet starts at a young age. That's why it's important to educate your children about the environment and inspire them to do their part to protect the planet.

Find out how to encourage recycling with these recycling opportunities for kids. From educational videos and fun recycling information to craft lessons and day trips, there are a wide variety of resources to encourage kids to think about recycling and its impact on the planet.

Set a good example

Leading by example is the best way to encourage recycling for children. It's no secret that children learn and copy our behavior, and how we manage our waste is no exception.

Make sure you sort your items properly and put them in the right boxes. Guide your children through the recycling process and explain the positive effects that recycling properly can have.

Turn recycling into a game

Children learn best while having fun. Help your kids learn about recycling by making the process a game and rewarding recycling properly.

For example, you can reward the child who is the fastest at sorting their trash into recyclables and scraps. In a short time, you will associate recycling with pleasure and you will make it a habit in a short time.

Explain the importance of recycling

It sounds simple, but emphasizing the importance of recycling is one of the easiest ways to encourage kids to recycle. Although the effects of recycling are obvious to us, children have not yet learned all the fascinating details about environmental protection.

Use special recycling facts to get kids' attention to make your purpose clearer. Recycling videos for kids are also helpful – you can find great educational resources online to help you convey information in a fun and memorable way.

Inform yourself

Instead of throwing away your recyclables, reusing them in craft projects is a great way to teach your kids about recycling.

You can save your old cardboard tubes, newspaper, wine bottles, etc. turn it into a fun art project that shows how recycling can bring things to life. When crafting, encourage your children to become familiar with the past lives of their objects and the many ways to reuse them.

Make it easy

Don't expect your children to immediately understand the different recycling systems in your home. While the different colored containers and separation methods will come naturally to you, your kids will need a helping hand to form the habit.

Make it easy for them to understand your bins by color matching or labeling, including a checklist of what items go into each bin.

A step-by-step chart for rinsing and sorting everyday items such as cereal boxes, yogurt cups, and plastic bottles can also be helpful. We hope your children begin to understand the use and sustainability of waste.

Reserve and donate unused

Donating is also part of recycling and the wider circular economy and can be easily done with your children.

Encourage your kids to identify clothes and toys they no longer use and take them to a charity or fundraiser.

Explain that a new kid will use their old stuff and tell them about the environmental impact of making new items. If they need something new, encourage your child to choose a used item to buy and ask them to think of the many past lives they think they have had.