The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that Americans create about 250 million tons of trash each year. And only about 33% of that is recycled or composted. While recycling is more common now than ever before, we can still do more to help make the world a better place for our children.
Speaking of whom, children do as they see, so make sure they see you actively fun recycling and reusing. Set up easily accessible recycling bins in your kitchen. Opt for reusable water bottles over disposable plastic. Choose reusable grocery bags over plastic. And if you have to buy disposable items, look for earth-friendly, bio-degradable options.
Play “I Spy Recyclables”
Walk around the house with your kids and ask them to spot items that can be recycled or reused once they are no longer needed. Shampoo bottles and empty toilet paper rolls in the bathroom; tissue boxes in the bedroom; toys, stuffed animals, and clothes that can be donated once your children outgrow them; and don’t forget about books, movies, and music CDs that can be loved by someone else.
Get Creative with Gift-Giving
As the saying goes, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. So get crafty with your kids and turn items you no longer need or use into thoughtful, one-of-a-kind gifts for friends, family, and teachers. Make mittens or a scarf out of an old wool knit sweater. Turn shirts, skirts, and dresses into aprons, dishtowels, hair bands, and more. Fill clean sauce and condiment jars with home-made cookies or pancake mixes. And so on.
Also, don’t forget all the other ways you and your children can go green around the house. Like conserving water (and money) by spotting and fixing water leaks right away, turning off the water while brushing your teeth, shortening the length of your shower by even a minute, and reusing cooking water to water your garden.
At Messmer Mechanical, we offer numerous ways to help you and your family conserve energy and other natural resources, including low-flow toilets, low-flow showerheads, and our annual air conditioning system tune-up and inspection. The latter will help your system run better and more efficiently, and that cuts both your energy consumption and expense.