You probably wouldn’t be here if you weren’t making some efforts to be more sustainable. And whilst the re-use, re-use, recycle mantra is a great thing to aspire to, it’s certainly not so easy once you’ve thrown a family in the mix.
We get it. You’ve got kids, and it turns out that excessive amounts of plastic is an unwelcome part of the package. Throw in the fact that it’s currently also school holidays, and I’d forgive your scepticism when I tell you that it’s possible to wrap kids entertainment and sustainability efforts all into one potent, eco-friendly cocktail. But hear me out: with just a little creativity, and a few strategically placed bribes, your little plastic toy tornadoes can become your household’s very own sustainability officers.
Read ahead for 9 tried and tested tips for reducing, reusing and recycling your way to a lower plastic impact, together with – rather than in spite of – the kids!
1. Recycle and Play arts and crafts:
One man’s trash is a toddler’s treasure! If your kids are old enough for basic arts and crafts, there are so many ways to turn your household waste in awesome play-things. The ‘Recycle & Play’ movement provides plenty of inspo (just search Pinterest) or check out our ocean-themed recycle & play e-book for plenty of ideas that use common bin or store cupboard items.
2. Make a game of sorting into coloured bins:
One of the things I love about my almost three year old is that, tantrums aside, she is endearingly eager to please and copy whatever I am doing. If your little one is similarly keen to play along, take advantage. I have been known to let her ‘play’ with our recycling – with a bit of guidance (plastic here, paper there), and plenty of encouragement, you have your own little recycling sorter! Bonus hack for parents of two or more: make it a race or competition, and reward the winner.
3. Return and Earn for pocket money:
Bribes, deployed wisely, can definitely be a force for good! My sister-in-law has found a genius way for her son to earn his pocket money and it’s called Return & Earn. Her 8-year-old collects all the plastic bottles and containers from the family’s waste (and a few from the neighbours too!) and takes them to the local collection point, earning himself 10c per bottle. He’s turned it into quite the little side hustle, and now the state government pays his pocket money. Win-win!
4. Involve them in purchasing their own sustainable swag:
There’s nothing like involving your kids to make them engaged in the outcome. And here’s a fun way to help the spend those Return & Earn dollars wisely. Make a special adventure out of heading to the shops to choose their own reusable bottle, tote bag and even a straw/cutlery set for their sustainable lunchbox. Older children can be put in charge of remembering their own re-usables when you go out. Giving these items a special sense of ownership will help those eco habits stick!
5. Potty training!
This may be one for the parents of younger bubs, and certainly requires their co-operation, but it’s one of the most impactful things you can do for our planet. An unbelievable 3.75 million single-use nappies are discarded each day in Australia and New Zealand, with each taking around 150 years to break down! With toilet-training programmes that start as young as 18 months, starting your little one in the transition to the potty might be one of the best ways of reducing your plastic impact. Child just not ready? Re-usable or cloth diapers are nothing like as overwhelming (or as icky!) as they seem. Either one of these simple switches could do wonders.
6. Organise a toy swap:
With a stretch of school holidays ahead, it’s tempting to add to the toy box to keep the kids entertained. However, now is a perfect time to introduce the idea of give one – get one. If your children can donate one un-used toy to the op-shop, they can trade it in for something “new” in-store instead. Alternatively, organise a toy swap amongst friends and make a play-date out of it. That’s a win for the environment, and your back pocket!
7. Bake your own snacks with your little chefs:
Snack wrappers are an absolute menace when it comes to environmental impact, and are abundant in most of households with kids. Involving your children in pre-preparing snacks and meals to take on the go is an excellent way of reducing the amount of plastic packaging you are sending to landfill, and a fun family activity to boot. We love making little egg frittata muffins to use up leftovers, but loads of other ideas are just a quick google away!
8. Join a Beach clean-up:
Whether you take the kids on a pre-organised clean up, or set one up yourself, this is an great way to get kids outside, and start important conversations about conservation. See which of your little beach scavengers can fill a bucket first, or who can collect the most bits of plastic, and reward the winner with an ice cream or hot treat (or plenty of your pre-baked snacks, to keep your plastic count low!)
9. Plant a veggie patch together:
Despite the fact most fruits and vegetables come in nature’s own packaging, our supermarkets do like to add a little extra plastic before they hit the shelves. Growing your own herbs, or even some basic veggies, is a great way of cutting down on unnecessary packaging, and a really fun way to involve the kids. Finding hardy crops that are quick and easy to grow is crucial with little green thumbs involved. Something like a rosemary or basil plant, or some tomatoes if you’ve plenty of sunshine, is ideal. Plant as you come into Spring, reap the rewards a few months later.
So there you have it, entertaining the kids can be fun and eco-friendly too. Recruit your kids to reduce, reuse and recycle this Summer, and you’ll be amazed how many eco-habits will stick even when the season is through.
