Children should grow up green
Taking care of the environment is everyone's responsibility and children need to be taught about the importance of living green through an environmentally friendly lifestyle.
Educational programmes such as Pikitup’s initiative, Eco Rangers was conceived as a platform to raise awareness and educate children about environmental issues.
Pikitup’s executive director for Waste Minimisation Strategy and Programmes, Musa Jack said, “It’s important for our children to learn about the world around them, how what we do ultimately impacts our surroundings. Our children’s future is tied closely with their environment and it’s imperative to teach them to care for the planet from a very young age.
“Children learn by example so if your goal is to help them ‘go green’ and become the next generation of junior tree huggers then you need to establish caring habits that teach them how, right now.”
Pikitup has developed the Eco Rangers characters based on and aligned with the National School Curriculum. The characters are namely Litter-X (Anti-littering message); Recylo (Recycling message); Lynx (Conservation message) and Sky (Carbon footprint message). They will visit about 200 schools. The objective of the project is to fully integrate the Eco Rangers into the schools’ respective programmes.
Tips for children going green:
nBegin by teaching children the idea of composting. Introduce them to the idea that vegetable peels and fruit skins can be turned back into soil by having a separate garbage bin for food waste.
nYou can show them how to open the tap so that only a thin stream of water flows into the sink and that by doing this they are using less water.
nMake your children aware of food containers and packaging. Instead of disposable plastic, use reusable containers to pack their lunch or treats in.
nYou can also teach them to turn off the tap while they are brushing their teeth to conserve water.
nIntroduce your children to the fun of gardening. Teach them to plant seeds and water them in the right way.
nTeach them how to wash fruits and vegetables in a single bowl of water rather than in the sink with the tap running.
nShow them how to recycle and how different recycling plastics have different numbers associated with them.
nYou can also get them actively involved in the community by volunteering as a family to help clean up your local beach or waterway, a great firsthand experience that teaches children where our rubbish ends up.
