Benefits of Learning to Recycle as a Family
We should always recycle as a family, and it’s one of the most beautiful activities we can do together. We’re going to tell you all about how to make it happen in this article.
There is nothing better than teaching our children useful and essential life values – those lessons that you’ll never forget, and the experiences that have been passed down from generation to generation.
When you recycle as a family, there’s always a task for everyone
Currently, society generates a lot of garbage. However, the good news is that we can do something about it. Recycling and the reusing of waste allows us to take care of the environment, and also save money.
Recycling as a family is also an excellent way to strengthen ties, generate closer bonds, and spend time having fun, creating unforgettable moments while leaving aside the internet and screens.
Becoming aware of the importance of recycling is the first step. Of course, these ecological habits must be carried out by all members of the family, especially by the adults, who lead and give an example.
So, if you want your children to recycle, you have to start first! And it’s not just about separating waste or making pots with empty plastic containers; this includes turning off lights when they’re not being used, not wasting water, wearing a sweater instead of turning up the heating, among other everyday actions.
Some couples have had these habits before becoming parents, while others become aware of them when they have children. There are even parents who learn about recycling through their children.
Regardless of how you start, the important thing is to start as soon as possible. Recycling as a family makes us partakers of something bigger than us – we’re saving the planet – and, at the same time, it gives us that bonding time that we like so much with our children.
For your little one to hand you a cardboard box and tell you to recycle it is a pride that few adults enjoy.
How to recycle as a family
Nor is it a matter of becoming an extremist from one day to the next. The change must be gradual but conscious and growing.
This means that you can start with a simple action and, once it becomes a habit, add to it. Thus, without realizing it, you’ll be an expert in the art of object reuse.
To recycle as a family, you can follow some guidelines or ideas such as the ones indicated below:
1. Learn
To teach something to our children, we must first know what we’re talking about. We recommend reading some articles or watching some documentaries about how trash is treated, reused, and recycled.
That way, you’ll have more “authority” when it’s time to explain to your little ones the importance of separating waste to reduce it.
2. Teach
The second step is to educate and, although we can serve as an example, it would also be useful if you took some time to explain to your children what you’ve learned.
You’ll have to adapt your words to their age and offer examples to be clearer. But, undoubtedly, they’ll understand and join the environmental team.
“Recycling as a family is an excellent way to strengthen ties, generate closer bonds and spend time having fun.”
3. Make it fun
It’s not about making it a chore and obligating everyone in the house to recycle. You can instill these values through games or fun activities.
For example, assemble or place containers of different colors depending on the material – paper, plastic, aluminum, glass, etc. – and whenever you have to throw an object in the trash, you can ask your children which can is the right one.
4. Create toys
Arts and crafts and recycling go hand in hand. We can use all kinds of things to make toys and games for children, while taking care of the environment and having fun at the same time.
There are many options, and everything depends on how creative we are. But a rainy afternoon can be the perfect excuse to use recycled materials and turn them into princess castles, space rockets, race tracks, kitchen utensils, or whatever.
Recycling as a family is much more fun and enriching than doing it alone. Besides, the benefits are for everyone. Cheer up and give it a try!
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
Morales, R. (2017). La enseñanza por medio del juego para un mejor aprendizaje. Praxis Pedagogica.
