10 smart ways to recycle

Getting into the habit of recycling can help save you money – but even more importantly it sets a really good example to your child when it comes to being aware of the fact that his planet is a treasure he needs to protect and respect and that small things he does every day can affect his environment in good ways and bad. If you’re a green parent, you’ll raise a planet-friendly child!

The three Rs

Start teaching your child these as soon as you can – they’re the key ways that he can reduce what’s called his ecological footprint – basically the ways in which he affects his environment.

Reduce This means cutting back on what we waste on a day-to-day basis – all those plastic bags we bring home from the store, for example, which can be substituted with canvas totes.
Reuse This means reusing things you already have so you don’t go out buying replacements you don’t really need. Dressing your baby wearing hand-me-downs? Then you totally get it!
Recycle This means processing a used object or item so it can be used to make something else – for example, old newspapers are recycled to produce new paper.

Getting your child involved

If your child is old enough for simple chores then you can use those as a way to drum in the three Rs – an ideal way is to have him rinse empty plastic milk bottles and take them, along with old newspapers, out to the recycling containers in the garage. Or have him start up his own little compost heap in the yard and let him take out vegetable and fruit peelings to throw on it.

Think beyond your home too, and take a walk around the block with a plastic bag, picking up any recyclable litter you come across (wear gloves and closely inspect litter before he picks it up – and pick up any glass items yourself).

Here are gurgle’s tips for recycling with your child…

1. Use glass feeding bottles

More bottlefeeding moms are turning to these after publicity suggesting that the plastics used to make convention baby feeding bottle might be harmful. The result is that they’re much more widely available and a batch of six should last you right up until you wean your baby onto a cup.

2. Switch to cloth diapers

Today’s cloth diapers aren’t the bulky diapers of old – in fact some are designed to look and be worn just like disposable diapers, with sticky tabs to keep them secure. Just soak and wash – and for true green parenting, air dry them after washing.

3. Make lunches planet-friendly

If your child goes to daycare or preschool, pack his lunch in a washable lidded container rather than using a new paper or plastic bag each day. Avoid pre-packed snacks – buy in bulk and decant to cut down on waste. And don’t waste larger baggies on small snacks – use special snack-sized bags and ask the staff at the daycare center to return them in your child’s lunchbox so you can rinse and reuse them. Alternately, supply fruit that has its own ‘packaging’ such as a banana or clementine.

4. Junk the juiceboxes

Don’t tote along kid-size juiceboxes everywhere you go – decant water or dilute fruit juice into a reusable sports drink container (it’s best to buy stainless steel, as these don’t contain the potentially harmful chemicals that occur in some hard plastics).

5. Be car conscious

Most parents rely on their cars to get them and their children from A to B as efficiently as possible. If you can’t afford to trade up to a hybrid, then make your existing car run greener by keeping it well tuned. Use the manufacturer’s recommended motor oil, replace the air filter as per service guidelines and check your tire pressure every week to reduce the amount of gas your vehicle guzzles. Don’t burn rubber to get away from the traffic lights, and when traveling at low speeds, open the windows instead of using the air conditioner (once you hit 55mph close them and switch to the A/C, as traveling at speed with the windows down creates a drag that increases fuel consumption).

6. Save scrap paper

If you work in an office that doesn’t recycle scrap paper (ask your boss why!) then ask if you can take it home for your kids to scribble on. If your child attends a daycare center or preschool you might also find they are desperate for scrap paper, so drop some in there too. And while you’re at it, think about ways you can reduce paper use – for example, by putting up a dry erase board in the kitchen to jot down reminders on instead of using paper and the ubiquitous stickies!

7. Hand them down

Take all outgrown clothes and shoes to your local Goodwill or thrift store and while you’re there, check out what they might have for your child. Think about it: kids grow so fast that clothes often are too small after just a few outings – which means they’ll be practically new even if they are second-hand. Yard and garage sales also are a great source of clothes, and a great way for you to recycle items you don’t want any more… someone out there always wants your stuff!

8. Never buy new

Whatever might be on your wish list is likely to be available second-hand via the classified ads in your local newspaper as well as auction sites such as ebay and Craigslist. Check out freecycle too – registration is free and so is everything offered on site. Sites are local so you should be able to pick up anything you get first dibs on and it’s also a great way to pass on old clothes and toys.

9. Get crafty

Old textiles, fabric and yarn scraps, old magazines, cardboard cereal boxes and tubes, leaves and twigs can form the basis of a box of tricks that will come in so handy to keep your toddler and preschooler entertained on rainy days.

Top it all off by using home-made glue for those cut and stick collages: you’ll need ¾ cup of water, 2 tbsp corn syrup, 1 tsp white vinegar and 2 tbsp cornstarch. Simply mix the water, corn syrup and vinegar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Mix the cornstarch with another ¾ of water and add slowly to the pot, stirring all the time, until the mixture returns to the boil. Boil for one minute, remove from heat and allow to cool. Leave your glue to stand overnight before using it.

10. Love your library

It’s a great opportunity to recycle your child’s reading material and toys every couple of weeks!

The information in this feature is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional.

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Last Modified: 15/03/2009

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