Brits go through an astonishing about of rubbish per day, amassing colossal scales per year, which is undeniably having a negative effect on the environment. To ensure that future generations are recycling all necessary waste to reduce the amount of waste sitting on landfill sites, it is crucial to teach children about the importance of recycling at an early age.

Here are 5 handy tips to teach your child why it is important to recycle:

• Educate them

There are various different ways of teaching children about tidying up, recycling, and being friendly to the environment. Children’s books, television programmes or even apps are a great place to start and are each targeted specifically to children and in a way that is easy to understand in their own language.

This will help them to learn about the concept of recycling and throwing away items that are broken or no longer needed, through simple text and visuals will grab their attention. There are many options out there that show youngsters what happens once rubbish is collected by rubbish removal companies, explaining the process of decomposing, problems at landfill and why recycling is crucial.

• Set a good example

A parent’s duty is to always demonstrate what is right and what is wrong, no matter what their age is. From a young age, children will follow your lead and copy you because they look up to you as a role model. Therefore, if they see you recycling and taking it seriously, they will do the same too. Children are always curious and like to ask questions. This will make children ask questions like, “why do we recycle?” and “which bin does this go in?”. Before long, they will automatically know the answer, and will begin to recycle items without needing any assistance. So, make sure that you always keep a clear office and home so that your child grows up seeing a tidy environment as the norm!

• Get creative

If your child enjoys getting their hands dirty and letting their creative juices flow, encourage them to repurpose used items from around the house to create something new. Whether it be a piece of artwork, a sculpture, or even a thoughtful gift for a friend or family member – perfect in the lead-up to Christmas or birthdays.

This will not only be hours of fun for young kids, but it also serves as a valuable lesson as they are not only being friendly to the environment, but they will be spending less time in front of a screen which is a bonus!

• Make recycling into a fun activity/game

Recycling doesn’t have to be boring! Make it fun by turning it into a game and getting your children involved. There are lots of different ways to make it fun for the whole family, including “guess which bin this goes in”, or mixing a pile of recyclable materials together on the floor and get your child to match the right item to the corresponding bin. You may even want to incorporate throwing practice by putting a piece of tape on the floor and asking them to throw the items into the correct bin.