How Recycling Gives Kids Responsibilities

Plastic Containers

• According to the website of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in 2011, humans were responsible for the generation of 32 million tons of plastic waste. Plastic waste often winds up in the ocean, damaging marine life. Ask your kids to help you create bins for plastic items, depending on your city's rules for recycling. Follow the rules for rinsing or removing labels if needed. Tell your children to be the recycling police and show them how to separate the materials. Let your children design labels for the bins. Instruct them to alert you when the bins are full or when recycling day arrives. The more you allow your children to participate in the recycling process, the more invested they will become. Your children can take the bins out to the curb on recycling day or join you on a trip to your town's drop-off center. Helping you recycle plastic will give your children new responsibilities and offer you a chance to teach them about the environment.

Paper

• Most families use and dispose of paper on a regular basis. Teach your children about waste. When they use several sheets of paper towel for a job suited for one piece, they have created more trash than necessary. Have a conversation about where paper products come from and how they can help prevent needless destruction of trees. Show them how to reuse paper for scrap and how to dump paper products in a designated location, separate from other trash. Children can be responsible for collecting paper around the house -- junk mail, outdated newspapers, used napkins on the kitchen table or old magazines in the bathroom. In this way, kids are helping to clean up and also assisting in gathering and organizing materials for weekly or bi-weekly recycling.

Glass

• Glass recycling is more delicate. When children are involved in recycling glass items, parents can teach them about safety. They can learn how to be more responsible with fragile materials. As explained by the Science Kids website, glass keeps its color after recycling, so it must be separated by color. Show your children how to gently place glass items in a safe recycling bin, and remind younger children to let an adult carry out the bin for disposal when necessary.

Cans

• Recycling cans can be most exciting for children because cans, like certain plastic or glass bottles, can be returned to the supermarket in exchange for a small reward. Cans are often easier for children to handle and are less messy. This is your opportunity to provide incentive -- if your children help collect empty cans for recycling, you can share the money earned with them. Most children are motivated by the chance to earn a little extra allowance. Recycling cans can help you teach your children that work pays off and that a little responsibility can sometimes give you more than just the knowledge that you have done a good deed.