Teach your little one about recycling

How often do you hear your little one singing re-use, reduce, and recycle? Children are taught to be environmentally-friendly at school. As parents, we have the opportunity to help raise a generation of eco-warriors by emphasising this message at home and practicing what we preach.

The future of recycling lies in the hands of our youth. It’s up to us to empower our children by educating them about the positive effects recycling has on our environment, and how they can make a difference.

Educate your family about going green

• When buying packaged products, think about how you can reuse or recycle the packaging. Glass is 100% recyclable and can be recycled again and again without losing its purity or strength.
• Plan your trips to glass banks so it fits into your weekly schedule. Take the kids along and show them how and where to put their bottles.
• Explain to your kids what is recyclable and what is not. Certain types of glass like window glass, ovenware, Pyrex, crystal, and light bulbs are manufactured through a different process and cannot be recycled through South Africa’s glass manufacturers.
• Reuse old containers. They are great for storing paint, crayons, buttons, and arts and crafts tools such as paintbrushes, rulers, and more.

Make recycling fun for kids

• Invent games that involve recycling. When sorting recyclables with your kids, let them throw the non-recyclable items like the plastic bottles into a bin from a short distance to see if they can get a ‘basket’.
• Do recyclable crafts with your kids. You can use printer paper, cardboard boxes, glass and plastic bottles, cans, old clothing, newspaper, and wood scraps for your projects. You can make masks from cardboard, aeroplanes from paper, and animals from cans and plastic bottles.