Let's teach the youngest the daily eco-responsible gestures
Eco-responsible actions are very simple to carry out, you just have to adopt the right habits. Learning to respect the environment takes place first and foremost in the family circle. Teach your children to :
· Use reusable containers from a young age
Recycling is good. Knowing that plastic bottles must be thrown away in the yellow garbage can, designed for recycling, and teaching this to your children is even better... But explaining to them from an early age that using plastic bottles, glasses, plates or even cutlery is harmful to the environment is even better. Whether it's a water bottle or a bottle, opt for reusable ones. Ideally for stainless steel which has an infinite life span and is not harmful to health. Today, there are reusable cans, mugs and even compote bottles. You are teaching your children at an early age about their actions and the decisions they will make as adults. Ban plastic containers from your consumption by teaching your children and you will have advanced the environmental cause.
Avoiding waste of water and electricity
Children learn to be independent while ensuring that:
· The faucet is turned off tightly after each use
· A glass of water is ideally used when brushing teeth instead of letting the water run from the tap
· Showering is preferred to bathing.
Furthermore, in France, lighting represents about 12% of household energy expenses. This proportion seems low, yet it represents between 325 and 450 kWh per year. The difference would be enormous for the planet if we get into the habit of turning off the lights in unoccupied rooms, from a young age.
After each use, it is always useful to unplug the charger of electronic devices. This is an eco-responsible act to be encouraged, because these devices consume electricity even if they are no longer connected to the device, but remain connected to the mains.
· Avoid the abusive use of paper
On a global scale, paper production involves a very large amount of wood, chemicals, water and a lot of energy. It is therefore considered a good practice to use the back of pages from failed printings, or ones you no longer need for drawings, instead of a new sheet. You should explain to your children the importance of their actions. It might be interesting to explain the papermaking process to them during a short nature walk, for example. Make them realize that the production of one ton of paper requires 2 to 3 tons of wood. In addition, it is recommended to use PEFC certified paper. You can also set up a waste paper collection basket to be used for manual work with children for example. Finally, paper is also made from recycled paper. Newspapers, magazines, and all sheets of paper should also be recycled, and these actions are part of the education that children are taught.
· Sorting, composting and gardening
If you have a green thumb, set an example for your children. Sort garbage and recycle biodegradable waste into compost. With the resulting organic fertilizer, prepare a small vegetable garden together. They will appreciate their efforts even more when they cook with ingredients from the garden.
Environmental awareness outside the home
· At school
Children spend a third of their day at school. This privileged environment plays an important part in successful environmental education. Some schools encourage the use of environmentally friendly school supplies such as PEFC paper. Others are also working on different areas such as
· Transportation from home to school
Fewer cars mean less pollution. Some schools support carpooling among students living in the same neighborhood with the help of parents. Indeed, the trips from home to school by private car, especially for elementary school, have a significant environmental impact and are less and less done on foot or by bike, despite the proximity.
· Ecological activities
Green classes, reforestation days, setting up a school garden, trips to the zoo or a monthly clean-up and waste collection day are all actions that make children aware of environmental protection.
· During outings
For children, outings are synonymous with fun and carefree activities. However, leisure activities can represent an additional source of pollution, without keeping an environmentally friendly attitude. During outings, favor zero waste consumption by using, as we mentioned above, reusable water bottles or stainless steel bottles for your children instead of plastic bottles. You should also avoid using disposable cutlery if you are planning a picnic.
It is on a daily basis that you will show your children the importance of responsible consumption, in order to get as close as possible to zero waste. We are very far from it, and yet it would be one of the main keys to a cleaner and more respectful world.
