How to Take Action to Help the Environment (Kids)
Help with recycling., Reduce your energy consumption., Start reusing items.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Help with recycling.
Recycling programs are available practically everywhere.
They clean and process certain kinds of waste so that the materials can be reused, which reduces the need for manufacturers to extract more resources from the planet.
Help the adults in your home by organizing and regularly delivering their recycling for the recycling truck to pick up from the curb.<:
Take Action to Help the Environment (Kids) Step
1.jpg|center|550px]] Read the guidelines printed on your family's recycling box or bin to see what you can recycle and what you can't.
Usually, you can at least recycle paper, thin plastic (like milk jugs and shopping bags), thin metal (like pop cans) and glass.
Depending on where you live, you might also be able to recycle thicker plastic, Styrofoam, and other materials.<:
Take Action to Help the Environment (Kids) Step 1Bullet1.jpg|center|550px]] Organize the recycling.
Check bottles, jars, and cans to be sure they're reasonably clean.
They don't have to be spotless, but they shouldn't be half-full, either.
Once everything is in order, sort the recycling by type.
If you use separate bins for each type, this will make it easier to fill the right bins.
Even if you don't, it's a great way to get an idea of how much of each type of material your family uses every day.
Repeat regularly.
Depending on how big and how busy your family is, this might be a good project to do once a week, or you might need to spend a little time on it every day.
The nice thing is, after the first time you do it, it shouldn't take more than a few minutes each time.
Whenever the recycling truck is going to come the next morning, be sure to set everything out by the curb for easy pickup. -
Step 2: Reduce your energy consumption.
The energy your house uses for things like hot water, air conditioning, and electricity is made at different kinds of power plants that each process a particular type of fuel to turn it into energy.
Some fuels are cleaner than others – hydroelectric (flowing water) power is cleaner than coal burning power, for instance – but no matter what the method, extracting energy from the environment puts a strain on it.
Do your part by using as little energy as possible.
Turn off lights and electronics (such as TVs and game systems) when you're done using them.
Ask your parents before you turn off the family computer, though: sometimes, computers need to stay on for various reasons.
During the day, open curtains and blinds, and rely on natural light instead of electric light.
Keep the temperature at a moderate level.
If you live in a home with air conditioning, ask your parents to set it no lower than 72 °F (22 °C) during the summer months.
In the winter, don't turn the thermostat up any higher than 68 degrees. (Use blankets and robes to stay warm when it's cool in the house.) At night, turn the thermostat as low as 55 degrees in rooms that nobody sleeps in.
Don't set thermostats lower than 55 degrees in the winter if you live somewhere cold.
Any lower and the pipes could freeze during the night.
Use less water.
Take short showers instead of baths, and turn the faucet off when you aren't actually using it.
This includes when you're brushing your teeth, but before you spit.
Every little bit helps! , Ask your parents to invest in 3 or 4 reusable shopping bags.
These usually cost a dollar or less, and they'll drastically reduce the amount of paper or plastic shopping bags coming home from the grocery store.
As for your own items, start using a reusable lunch box for school, if you don't already.
They look cooler than paper bags, anyway, and you can even pack home your paper towels and plastic baggies for recycling.
Ask for a reusable water bottle for drinks, too.
Either metal or rugged plastic will do fine.
Be sure to rinse and clean reusable shopping bags about once a week, to keep them from getting grimy.
Scrub them out briskly in the kitchen sink with a dishcloth or sponge and let them dry on the dish rack for a couple of hours.
Use what plastic shopping bags you have left as trash bags in the bathroom or your bedroom.
They fit small trash cans perfectly, and will reduce your consumption of specially-made plastic trash bags.
Be sure when you pick out a water bottle that it's made with “BPA free” plastic.
This makes it safe to drink from even when it gets old.
Plastics with BPA in them don't stay safe to use as bottles over a long period of time. -
Step 3: Start reusing items.
Detailed Guide
Recycling programs are available practically everywhere.
They clean and process certain kinds of waste so that the materials can be reused, which reduces the need for manufacturers to extract more resources from the planet.
Help the adults in your home by organizing and regularly delivering their recycling for the recycling truck to pick up from the curb.<:
Take Action to Help the Environment (Kids) Step
1.jpg|center|550px]] Read the guidelines printed on your family's recycling box or bin to see what you can recycle and what you can't.
Usually, you can at least recycle paper, thin plastic (like milk jugs and shopping bags), thin metal (like pop cans) and glass.
Depending on where you live, you might also be able to recycle thicker plastic, Styrofoam, and other materials.<:
Take Action to Help the Environment (Kids) Step 1Bullet1.jpg|center|550px]] Organize the recycling.
Check bottles, jars, and cans to be sure they're reasonably clean.
They don't have to be spotless, but they shouldn't be half-full, either.
Once everything is in order, sort the recycling by type.
If you use separate bins for each type, this will make it easier to fill the right bins.
Even if you don't, it's a great way to get an idea of how much of each type of material your family uses every day.
Repeat regularly.
Depending on how big and how busy your family is, this might be a good project to do once a week, or you might need to spend a little time on it every day.
The nice thing is, after the first time you do it, it shouldn't take more than a few minutes each time.
Whenever the recycling truck is going to come the next morning, be sure to set everything out by the curb for easy pickup.
The energy your house uses for things like hot water, air conditioning, and electricity is made at different kinds of power plants that each process a particular type of fuel to turn it into energy.
Some fuels are cleaner than others – hydroelectric (flowing water) power is cleaner than coal burning power, for instance – but no matter what the method, extracting energy from the environment puts a strain on it.
Do your part by using as little energy as possible.
Turn off lights and electronics (such as TVs and game systems) when you're done using them.
Ask your parents before you turn off the family computer, though: sometimes, computers need to stay on for various reasons.
During the day, open curtains and blinds, and rely on natural light instead of electric light.
Keep the temperature at a moderate level.
If you live in a home with air conditioning, ask your parents to set it no lower than 72 °F (22 °C) during the summer months.
In the winter, don't turn the thermostat up any higher than 68 degrees. (Use blankets and robes to stay warm when it's cool in the house.) At night, turn the thermostat as low as 55 degrees in rooms that nobody sleeps in.
Don't set thermostats lower than 55 degrees in the winter if you live somewhere cold.
Any lower and the pipes could freeze during the night.
Use less water.
Take short showers instead of baths, and turn the faucet off when you aren't actually using it.
This includes when you're brushing your teeth, but before you spit.
Every little bit helps! , Ask your parents to invest in 3 or 4 reusable shopping bags.
These usually cost a dollar or less, and they'll drastically reduce the amount of paper or plastic shopping bags coming home from the grocery store.
As for your own items, start using a reusable lunch box for school, if you don't already.
They look cooler than paper bags, anyway, and you can even pack home your paper towels and plastic baggies for recycling.
Ask for a reusable water bottle for drinks, too.
Either metal or rugged plastic will do fine.
Be sure to rinse and clean reusable shopping bags about once a week, to keep them from getting grimy.
Scrub them out briskly in the kitchen sink with a dishcloth or sponge and let them dry on the dish rack for a couple of hours.
Use what plastic shopping bags you have left as trash bags in the bathroom or your bedroom.
They fit small trash cans perfectly, and will reduce your consumption of specially-made plastic trash bags.
Be sure when you pick out a water bottle that it's made with “BPA free” plastic.
This makes it safe to drink from even when it gets old.
Plastics with BPA in them don't stay safe to use as bottles over a long period of time.
About the Author
Charlotte Robinson
Enthusiastic about teaching DIY projects techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: