Over the past 60 years, the U.S. recycling rate has increased from less than 7% to around 32%, according to the EPA. We’ve come a long way, but there’s still plenty of room for improvement. As parents and educators, we have a powerful opportunity to model and teach environmentally responsible behavior — positively influencing children’s recycling habits for years to come.
Ready to help shape the next generation of sustainability stewards? Our guide to recycling for kids makes teaching more fun and interactive.
Lead By Example
According to the State of Recycling Report, only 43% of households participate in recycling. You can make it easy to recycle at home — and lead by example — by setting up a recycling station that works for everyone in the family. Once you place your bins in a central location, you can post acceptable/unacceptable lists with illustrations to help younger recyclers.
Not sure what goes in which bin or how to recycle it properly? You can find tips on recycling common items and specialty items — like light bulbs, batteries and organics — on our Recycling Basics page. You can also reach out to your local recycling facility to see which items they accept and whether there are any specific disposal guidelines to keep in mind.
Visit a Recycling Center
For our visual learners, seeing all the sorting, inspecting, packing and shipping in action can be especially helpful. Check with area recycling centers to find out if they offer tours to the public. You can also explore our virtual recycling center tours, which are tailored to different age groups.
Play Recycling Games
Research shows game-based learning can enhance engagement, motivation and outcomes in early childhood education. To help parents teach kids about recycling in a fun and engaging way, we designed several recycling games — like Bingo and sorting cards — as well as picture and word searches, coloring pages and more. Head over to our Recycling 101 page and download the printable recycling activities (in either English or Spanish) under the Recycle as a Family section.
Explore Other At-Home Recycling Activities
Recycling Simplified At-Home Learning is a free online resource featuring engaging videos and activities. Each recycling activity, developed by teachers and vetted by parents, is family-friendly and you don’t need any teaching experience. You’ll find resources for younger kids — like puzzles, stories and flash cards — plus activities for middle- and high-schoolers, like worksheets, challenges and videos with discussion questions.
Follow a Recycling Lesson Plan
If you’re an educator looking for comprehensive sustainability and recycling lesson plans, we’ve also created an online curriculum for pre-K through 12th grades. Each downloadable curriculum was written and vetted by teachers and is aligned with grade-level standards. The step-by-step lesson plans include supporting materials such as videos, slides, handouts and student certificates.
Raising Responsible Recyclers
When we instill strong recycling habits in children, we can help them grow into environmentally responsible adults. After all, kids are the environmental champions of the future. Set a good example, show kids the recycling process in action and make it fun!
To learn more about our sustainability initiatives, check out our Sustainability page.
