Tell Recycle Now how you encourage your DCs to recycle for a chance to win an iPad mini! NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

We are all aware of the importance of recycling, but it can be easy to forget when we’re all so busy browsing MN threads. Recycle Now has teamed up with Wastebuster to launch a campaign to encourage more families to recycle more items, more often. They would like to hear how you encourage your DCs to recycle and for you to take part in their Home Recycling Challenge.

Here’s what Recycle Now has to say: “To help kids recycle more at home, we’ve created the Home Recycling Challenge, which includes the chance to win great prizes. Here’s how you and your family can take part:

Step 1 – visit wastebuster.co.uk/homerecyclingchallenge and download the competition sheet/ recycling poster template

Step 2 – use the recycling locator with your kids to find out what can and can’t be recycled in your area and use this information to fill in the blanks and decorate on your poster

Step 3 – stick the poster up in your home and take a family selfie

Step 4 – upload your photo to the Recycling Hero Hall of Fame to be in with a shot of winning some great prizes!

Every family has a different routine, and we want to hear about how you teach your kids good recycling habits that they can take forward into later life. Did you know that you can recycle bleach bottles, shampoo bottles, kitchen cleaner bottles, baby food jars, aerosol deodorants, face cream pots and dishwasher tablet boxes?”

Have a look at their video here

So how do you get your DC to recycle at home? Maybe you make a game of it by seeing who can recycle the most? Perhaps you make it easier to sort by having stickered bins? Do you take it in turns or is it one person’s job? Or do you give your DC rewards for recycling?

Please share on this thread how you encourage your DCs to recycle below and you will be entered into the prize draw to where one winner will win an iPad mini.

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Standard Insight T and Cs Apply

My DC are only 4 & 2 but we've already spoken to them about recycling - plus they've also seen the Peppa Pig episode!!

They know that in the kitchen we have a silver bin for general rubbish (that can't be recycled), a blue box for paper & card, and a blue bin for glass & plastics.
Already they are both keen to get involved and fight over who puts the junk mail in the blue box!!

They use the recycling boxes but they also up cycle some items for crafts. We also use a lot of second hand things and they understand this is normal and not everything needs to be 'new', including toys for Christmas and birthdays.

we all do the recycling in our house . The youngest boys put out the tins bottles and paper. I put the food waste in the recycling and put it out as they dont like to touch it. They do all understand that we must recycle what we can and the effect on the planet. We try not to put too much in the landfill bin.We try to do as much as we can

I play a game, see who can sort 5 items the quickest!

The DDs are 6 and 3 and love to help with the recycling. They're still young enough to be excited by getting to help out and being allowed to do little jobs like put food waste in the kitchen caddy. I let them get involved by washing up the plastic for recycling and squashing the bottles with me. It's a great chance for them to 'help' with the washing up splash water everywhere without me having to worry about the fact that nothing is getting particularly clean. We also make a game of 'which bin does this go in?' It works for now, but I'm not sure how long it'll last.

My kids are very good with the household recycling - they don't usually have to be encouraged as it's something they've grown up with. We have a large plastic crate by the back door where we put the cardboard, paper, glass wine bottles, tins and plastic milk cartons. The kids also like sorting clothes and books which they have grown out of, they enjoy their regular trips to the charity shop!

I've always recycled what I can. We have recycling bins in the kitchen - one for glass which needs to go to the bottle bank, the other for everything else. My youngest always asks, "Can this go in the recycling?" before he throws anything away. I don't do anything special to encourage them, as it's just part of what they've always grown up with. They do tell my husband off for putting recyclables in the black bin, though!

My youngest is obsessed with bin lorries which has led to an interest in recycling.
He has a really good DVD with a section on recycling (bright green box can't think who by). He also has an usborne rubbish and recycling lift the flap book which has loads of info.

Like someone else up thread, mine first heard about it from Peppa pig!!! But i encouraged the conversation when they asked about it, and we regularly talk about environmental issues (in an age appropriate way - no doom mongering)

My method tends to be to growl THE FLOOR IS NOT A BIN, GO AND PUT IT IN THE PINK RECYCLING BAG THIS MINUTE!!!!!

Recycling just isn't an issue in our house, the kids do it automatically without any encouragement (4 and 7 years old). We have a big box for recycling as ours all goes out for collection mixed up in a wheelie bin, and its what the children have always known so they just do it.

I just explain what can be recycled and why we do it so that he knows we are looking after the planet.

I make sure he knows not to put anything in the rubbish bin - if he isn't sure if it can be recycled he should ask first not just throw it.

I also encourage him to draw/write on the back of my old letters etc so he doesn't waste new paper if it is just for being creative at home not for school work.

The kids are such ambassadors for recycling already! He probably first saw it in the peppy pig episode when he was about 2 and had the book which became a firm favourite because of the truck! School have also done a lot on recycling so he's always making sure we recycle. We've always had a system at home for recycling so the kids always see it and it becomes part of their routine.

I let DS put the bottles into the bottle bank (under close supervision) as I hold him up. He loves the sound it makes as they go in and smash.

Boring I know, but I've talked to my kids (5 and 8) about what's happening to the planet, why and what we can do to help. They've really taken it on board, and recycle quite eagerly. We have different bins for regular rubbish, recycling, garden compost and waste food recycling and we tend to just encourage gently when something goes in the wrong bin. It helps that school has been teaching them too of course.

In our locality, collection is split into three types of waste - food, recycling and non. The kids are brilliant and distinguishing between the items within the home and placing them into the three correct 'bins' before they are taken out into the larger bins (with a little guidance from us of course). We also take the children along to our local recycling center when we have larger items - garden waste or fabrics for example, so they can see and understand the scale of recycling beyond the home.

We send lots of things into nursery, they're always glad of bits for crafts and junk modelling
Less so when you get a cardboard life size dinosaur to bring back home!

Recycling at home is just second nature, I can't imagine ever finding a plastic bottle in the kitchen bin - it's just not where they go! Recycling OUTSIDE the home is another matter though - sadly there's only one way my teenagers would recycle a bottle instead of putting it in a public bin - 5p or 10p refund on every bottle.

Since they were tiny we always had a junk modelling materials collection bin. They never wanted to throw anything away and would then help themselves and create their masterpieces. It all ends up in the recycling bin but they have a lot of fun first. They used to love a book called Wendell's Workshop and must have read it to them hundreds of times. About an inventor who learnt a lesson that nothing needs to be thrown away. It definitely rubbed off on them and both now come up with amazing ideas.

My DC have always been fascinated by recycling - they have a fantastic 'Look Inside' Usborne book all about it. They are extremely eco aware (to a fault - DS1 obsessed with switching off lights regardless of whether anyone is in the room at the time!) so love to put stuff in the different coloured bins.

Our school is very hot on recycling - the children encourage us! Our recycling is very simple, everything goes in the one bin, so it's easy for the, to do.

We have separate boxes in the garage for glass, plastic, paper and cardboard erg. The children are great at recycling and will always ask if something can be recycled before putting in the bin. Or 'cycled' according to my five year old. Repeating why it is important and how we can make a difference through small things helps I think.

We reuse a fair amount of rubbish as craft items at the weekend such as boxes and egg cartons. We have recycling boxes by the door and DD (2) adores taking them outside to put in the bin. She also insists on sitting in the porch and watching the bin men take them away. Strange child.

Mine love taking the glass to the glass bins - they think it's a great day out! And try to get the loudest smash!!

DC are only 4 and 6 but already know that "mummy hates waste" and we try to re-use and recycle where possible. They are in the habit that we have always taken our own bags when out shopping so at least we don't have kitchen drawers full of plastic bags. Yogurt pots, butter tubs, egg boxes all get recycled into their arts and crafts.