In order to encourage the habit of treating the environment kindly, parents need to start early in teaching their kids to recycle paper products. The environment is highly important to the development of every child, so it is something that needs to be protected. Teaching young children how to do this will make it likely that they will also teach their children. Therefore the environment will benefit from years to come. Here are 7 handy paper recycling tips to share with children.
7 Paper Recycling Tips
Tip #1: Have Discussions On Why Paper Recycling Is Important
Children may not understand completely why it is important to recycle. However talking to them about it over the years will help them develop a clear understanding. Parents can share paper recycling statistics. Then, they can explain to their kids in age-appropriate language that human families are generating a tremendous amount of trash every year. The garbage dumps where all this waste is being taken cannot continue taking in that much trash each year forever. For this reason, it is important to practice behaviors that will reduce the amount of garbage that each family creates.
Tip #2: Teach The Kids How To Reduce Paper Use
This is one of the most important paper recycling tips. Kids can use the whole sheet of paper. They can also use the backside and this will result in less paper used. Waste not, want not. The amount of paper used can be reduced in a myriad of ways. For example, instead of paper towels, people can purchase cloth towels that will be used over and over again. Parents can make sure to point out to their kids that they will be sending less trash to the landfills when they use cloth towels.
Tip #3: Teach Kids to Reuse Paper Products
Parents can teach their kids that paper products can be re-used such as card board. Some products come in cardboard packaging. Most often the packaging has no other purpose after the item has been removed from its cardboard container. Parents have the opportunity to point out the fact that the cardboard would be sent to a landfill if they threw it away. However, reuse and recycling, can can save it from going to the landfill. For example, by using the cardboard as a canvas for the kids’ artwork. Collages and paper beads are some more fun recycling crafts!
Tip #4: Teach Kids to Recycle Paper
Recycling means that the paper items will be taken by a recycling facility where they will be broken down and used to create new paper products. Parents can show their kids that recycling begins at home after people have purchased products made out of paper. Once the family has finished with a product made from paper, they can separate it from other types of garbage and place it in a bin designated for paper products only. Some communities have pick-up for recyclables, but if this is not the case in each particular family’s area, they can make it a point to take their recyclable paper to the recycling center.
Tip #5: Have Fun When Teaching about Recycling
Communities often have events that are related to recycling. Parents can find these types of events by consulting the Internet. One type of event that would be fun for kids is held every year on November 15 and is called America Recycles Day. For information on this day, people can visit the America Recycles Day website where they strongly encourage families to participate in recycling activities.
Tip #6: Look for Creative Ways to Recycle Paper
After people have purchased paper items and are finished with them in their original intended use, this is another time to teach a recycling lesson. Parents can challenge their kids to come up with new uses for something they have finished using. For example, any leftover cardboard can be gathered to create another product that will have a lasting presence in the house. Cardboard can be used to create things such as birdhouses. They may even gather up enough cardboard to make a fairly large doll house or a playhouse.
Tip #7: Begin a Recycling Program
This is the most above and beyond of the paper recycling tips but it will feel so great to do! Starting a recycling program in a community that does not have one would go a long way in teaching kids about community involvement. It is also common for the public schools to begin these types of programs, but if the schools in the area have not started one, parents can help begin the recycling program. Schools utilize a vast amount of paper, so this is a great place to begin a recycling program. Parents will have the chance to introduce the possibility of such an agenda at their next PTA meetings.
What are some of your most useful paper recycling tips?
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cardboard balers says
Paper is one of the most recycled waste products, with nearly 90 percent of newspapers, more than 70 percent of office papers and almost half of all magazines kept out of the waste stream through recycling.