Recycling is an easy and very hands-on activity that even the youngest kids can get involved in and feel part of.
It’s critical that we teach them how to recycle from a very young age so that they grow up being eco-conscious and willing to do their bit for our planet.
They are the leaders of the future after all!
As any parent will be aware, kids mimic what they see and hear around them – so it’s important that you model good, environmentally-friendly behaviours for them to imitate.
One of the most valuable habits you can teach them is recycling.
5 ways to get your kids excited about recycling.
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- Make it into a competition: Kids love competition, so make recycling a competition in your house and offer a prize for whoever recycles the most. Teach the kids which plastics can be recycled and where to look for the little triangles on the bottom of plastics to find the number 1 (PET) or 2 (HDPE) to identify them, and encourage them to keep track of what they’re putting in the recycling bin. You could make a chart and hang it in the kitchen and put stickers beside each child’s name to make it more fun.
- Get involved in clean-ups: Getting involved in community clean-ups not only teaches kids the importance of shared responsibility, but also the importance of protecting our planet and recycling. And it’s a nice social event. Again, offer incentives for the child who collects the most recyclable plastics and as you walk around, point out how much the garbage and waste is destroying our beautiful island and the threat it poses to animals and sea life.
- Show them the value: Kids are inherently very caring, and they have a huge capacity for empathy. They are also like sponges and they soak up information about the world around them faster than most adults! So, when you’re encouraging them to recycle, teach them about why it’s important and show them tangible examples. Buy books about the planet and teach them the consequences of pollution and plastic waste on our beloved land and sea animals. Here are some ideas for great books to add to your collection.
- Make recycling drop-off day a special occasion: Another great way to get the kids excited about recycling is to make drop-off day a special event. Maybe you go out to their favourite restaurant, or to their favourite park, or perhaps you just make their favourite pancakes at home after the drop-off. Whatever it is, making it a special occasion will add to the excitement and be an incentive. You can find your nearest Recycling Partners of Jamaica drop-off here on their interactive map. Simply select your parish and you’ll see where you can take your PET and HDPE bottles and containers to be recycled.
- The ‘get paid’ incentive: Did you know that Recycling Partners of Jamaica pay up to $50 per kilogram of plastics? This will help incentivise older kids in particular as they’ll be able to earn more pocket money as the amount they recycle increases.
Share your best recycling tips
Along with our friends at Recycling Partners of Jamaica, we have made a space where moms can go to ask questions, share tips, and talk about ways we can make Jamaica cleaner and greener.
This place can be found over on our Caribbean Moms forum, where you will see a category called Recycling Moms.
To get the conversation started, we want you to share your best tips for recycling at home. It can be anything from where you do your recycling to how you get the kids involved. We want to hear it all.
Caribbean Moms and Recycling Partners of Jamaica have hampers worth €50 each to give away, courtesy of Wisynco and Pepsi. Those that comment with their tips will be in with a chance of winning one!
So what are you waiting for, head on over to our forum and get commenting.
