Why it is important to teach your kids about waste management

One of the most important things that every single one of us has to do as a parent is to help our children to grow up to be decent members of society – such that are going to help make our country and the world a better place to live, work and continue to develop as a race. Naturally, there are many different aspects of this task – education, learning how to behave in social situations, self-reliance and dozens of more vital skills and attitudes.

In recent years it becomes more and more important, evidently – to think about the overall future of the planet. Global Warming and the exhaustion of the natural resources are becoming more of a reality than themes in second-rate science fiction books and films. More and more specialists stress on the fact that we should start acting now if we want to stir things in our favor. But how?

The importance of proper waste management at home

There is no need to state and explain that the biggest contributors to the problem with global pollution are the heavy industry corporations that employ methods of production for their goods that cannot, under any circumstances, be described as environment friendly. Of course, there are movements that are saying that the best way to prevent such horrible practices is for every single one of us to boycott the products of such harmful companies. Well, this is not exactly possible, is it? There are government regulations that are trying to reduce the harm that is being done to nature, but those are also not a hundred percent effective for the simple reason that when too much restrictions are put on a certain business, logically the business is seeking ways to reduce their effect, because they are also increasing the costs of production. That is why many companies outsource their production in Third World Countries where the work hand is cheaper and there are fewer if any environment protection regulations that are putting strain on the production process.

The surest way to change the impact that heavy industry is having on the planet, and more precisely on the issues of Global Warming and pollution is through scientific developments, seeking alternative energy sources and other similar activities. Such steps are already being taken, but they would not be enough in their own right, because it is actually the mindset of the people that is to change if we want to go in the right direction. Here is where your position as a client comes – because the right mindset is not taught in school or at Green Peace rallies – it is to be taught at home.

Teaching your little ones about the importance of being environmentally responsible and being conscious about the amount of waste that is being produced by them on a daily basis is the best thing that people like us can do in order to stir the fight against pollution in a positive direction.

What exactly should you do

Teaching an environmentally responsible lifestyle is not going to be easy, especially if you are not employing the methods and principles in question yourself already. The good news is that through the process you are actually going to do yourself good too. Here are several very simple things that you can do in order to make sure that you are doing a good job:

• Start recycling. Recycling materials that can be reused is the easier and most effective way to both teach your kids a valuable lesson that is going to become even more precious in the near future, and optimize the waste management process at your home. There are many recycling depots all over the territory of London where you can bring a bulk of your unnecessary items to be recycled and reused in the future, and even the council operated waste collection services offer recycling nowadays.
• Keep the items that you have at home to a minimum. There are serious studies that actually indicate that living with less items increases happiness and productivity. We are not saying that you need to go back to the cave, but rather that when you are not using something you have at home – being old clothes, out of date equipment and appliances or anything else for that matter – then you do not need it. Carrying out a house clearance to get rid of old newspapers and unnecessary items every once in a while would be very beneficial to your household and is going to have a positive impact on your children as well.
• Build a compost station. If you are living in a house and you have a garden, there is no better way to teach your kids a good lesson about environmentally responsible lifestyle, and at the same time help yourself maintain your outdoor space in the best condition possible than to start composting. A compost is essentially a natural way to produce material to enrich and fertilize the soil in your garden. It is produced by food and other organic waste and it is very easy to make, even in closed premises. Since you have a backyard however, it might be better to designate a small portion of it for the compost. Tell your kids that all food waste is to be disposed there. Make sure however that you explain to them exactly why you are doing what you are doing. On one hand, they need to know, on the other through the newly acquired knowledge they will probably become even more enthusiastic about their mission. All in all, talking is the key to educating your kids – and you should not take it lightly.

Summary of apportioned and non-apportioned waste (000s tonnes)