Teaching Kids the 3R's

It's never too early to teach your kids about the three R's: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. And the best ways to teach them are those that help them get involved in the process. Here's how:

1. Reduce
   • Start a toy exchange with friends.
   • Instead of buying books, movies, and magazines, borrow copies from your local library or movie rental store.
   • When you are shopping, point out reusable items to your kids like refillable pens, a reusable lunch bag or rechargeable batteries.
2. Reuse
   • Use both sides of the paper whenever you can.
   • Fill your child's art box with scrap paper, paper grocery bags, leftover wrapping paper, or the insides of leftover cereal boxes.
   • Donate! Don’t throw away those old clothes and toys. Instead, put them in a box for your local thrift store.
   • Wrap up presents with comics from the newspaper, or a decorated paper grocery bag.
   • Make a waste-free lunch. Use reusable products for your lunch bag, drink bottle, napkin, and sandwich containers in place of disposables.
   • Save that lint! You know all of that lint that comes out of your dryer? Place it in a container outside and the birds will use it to line their nests!
3. Recycle
   • Before you throw something away, check to see if it can be recycled. Check out Earth 911 to find out what and where to recycle in your area.