Recycling is good for the environment. Getting your family on board may take a little bit of finesse. Here are some of the ways to encourage the whole family to recycle.

Discuss the Importance

Starting recycling can be a challenge for some people. Many people may not have stopped to consider where all the trash ends up. This can be an eye opening experience. Explain how recycling benefits the environment. There are also monetary benefits to recycling. Kids are especially receptive when you teach them at a young age. Encourage the whole family to get involved with the process. Make handy cheat sheets so that everything is clearly labeled. It may be confusing in the beginning. Allow for lots of opportunities to learn about the new method.

Make Recycling Easy

Have bins in an area that is easily accessible to all members of the family. Label the bins with pictures as well as words. This will make it easier for young children to be able to distinguish what goes in which bin. Recycle as you go through the day. Make it a game for your kids. Explain it as a matching game. Start out by giving small prizes when they get the items in the right bin. This will ensure that they keep trying. After a few weeks, it will become a habit. For adults, breaking the trash habit may take a little longer.

Decorate Your Bins

Let your kids decorate the bins. This is a good way to get them excited about recycling. Every time that they put an item into the bin that they helped create will make them feel good. This can also be a good bonding experience for the whole family. Make it a family activity. Consider making it a competition for who can make the most elaborate bin. Have the decoration have something to do with the recycling theme. Use some of your recycling items as the foundation for your decorations. Have fun with it so that everyone is excited about starting recycling.

Take a Field Trip

Make a trip down to the local center, like Ware Disposal. Of course, make sure to call ahead and see if the center would allow your family to do this. This is a good opportunity for the whole family to see how the process works. Explain what happens to the materials that can’t be recycled. Discuss the importance of being good stewards to the planet to your kids. Having a visual of where the materials is going may make it more relatable to your family. Some kids may be excited to see the large sorting equipment. People learn best by seeing how things work. This may even work for those family members that are resistant to the recycling process.

Over time, recycling will become second nature. Use these tips to get your family excited about recycling.