Raising children to be responsible citizens and good caretakers of the earth and environment is likely one of your highest priorities as a parent. Teaching them how to dispose of waste responsibly will go a long way toward reaching that goal. Follow these tips for teaching your children how to dispose of household waste responsibly.
Make Recycling Easy — Set Up a Recycling Center
Children need your help learning how to sort household wastes. You can make it easier for them by setting up an area for recycling. Label buckets or bins for the appropriate items, such as paper, plastic and glass, so little ones always know where it goes. The recycle bins or sorting area should be accessible to everyone in the family. If children can’t reach the recycle area comfortably or need to wait for your assistance, they’re less likely to participate.
Start a Compost Bin
A compost bin is a must for food scraps and yard wastes and teaches kids how to turn waste into rich soil for gardens and flowerbeds, but don’t expect kiddos to run outside to the compost bin to toss that banana peel. To make things easier, get a compost bucket for inside your home. You can purchase attractive buckets made for this purpose for a nominal fee, but you don’t need anything fancy. Any bucket with a closeable lid will do. Place it where it’s easy to reach and teach children that food waste, such as vegetable or fruit peels, go into the bucket. Let your little ones see you take the compost outside to the compost bin regularly.
Participate in Neighborhood Cleanup Days
Make participating in neighborhood cleanup days a family activity. If your neighborhood doesn’t hold an official cleanup day, talk to your children about areas nearby that need attention and work together to clean them up. Enlisting friends and neighbors to join you in your efforts will teach kids that working together is important too.
Avoid Disposable Items — Teach Children to Reuse or Repurpose Items
Resist the temptation to purchase disposable items like paper plates and cups for household use. Likewise, get in the habit of purchasing refillable containers like refillable water bottles and soap containers instead of opting for the convenience of disposable containers. Clean and save plastic or glass containers for storage or crafts instead of buying a new container whenever the need arises.
Set a Good Example
Remember that kids learn by your example, and that includes your attitude. If your child sees you grimace or hears negative remarks when it’s time to sort the recyclables or take the compost to the compost bin, he will learn that responsible disposal of waste is a chore and will be less likely to continue the habit when you’re not around.
Cleaning up the yard or cleaning out the garage may pose more of a challenge when it comes to disposing of waste. Consider renting a dumpster from Debris Box, and let us do the hard work of hauling it all away.
Leave a Reply