This post was sponsored by the Carton Council as part of an Ambassador Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
One of my favorite things about homeschooling my kids is that I have the opportunity to teach them about what matters. Sometimes it’s big things, other times, it’s small things. I want to teach them to be good people – to be kind to others, to be helpful, and also to respect and honor our planet. From projects with friends to clean up the ditches by our house or simple things we do inside the walls of our house, we have the opportunity with our actions every day to protect our planet. I love having the opportunity to celebrate America Recycles Day. While I know why I am celebrating this day, not everyone does, so let’s talk about that.
Every day, the average American creates four pounds of trash. Let that sink in for a moment because that is just for one person!!! That alone is a bit disheartening, but knowing that about 75% of that waste can be recycled is a bit encouraging. Recycling is one simple step that can help our environment and doing so is so simple. Waste sent to a landfill releases harmful gases that lead to global warming. It is our job to protect this Earth.
One simple way that we make sure we recycle is to keep a paper bag out next to the garbage can in the kitchen. The kids are pretty aware of it and ask if they aren’t sure which garbage things should go into.
Once I showed them this video showing how recycled items become new products, they were so excited and found this renewed excitement to never throw recyclable containers into the garbage. Just having this on the front of their minds makes us even more conscious of the things we buy and the containers they are purchased in. Instilling these simple changes in our lives creates a habit that will carry them through their life.
But knowing that we can recycle is only half the battle. Knowing what can be recycled is important. If you are throwing things into that bin that cannot be recycled, often times, that means that anything touching that one item also has to be tossed. That means that your recycled items may end up in the trash if we don’t take care to recycle the correct items. What does that mean exactly?
Whether you are purchasing shelf-stable items or refrigerated items, you can still purchase recyclable packaging. Your recycled items will fit into one of these categories: paper, plastic or aluminum. Food cartons are so great because they are lightweight, compact and have a low carbon footprint.
Have you ever thought for a second about how many products you use that are recyclable? It amazes me every day how often we fill up our recycle bag as opposed to our garbage can. We are doing a pretty good job of using products that we can recycle. Things like soup cans, juice containers, milk jugs, water and so much more can be recycled. Get on board with our family and the Carton Council to recycle your food and beverage containers and help create less waste for our precious Earth. Plus, recycling them is so easy. Use them until empty and toss in your recycle bin. So easy!!! This year for America Recycles Day – celebrate your decision to begin recycling or be more conscious of what you are recycling. With over 62% of US households able to recycle – there’s no excuse not to do it.
Tossing that empty carton into the trash instead of the recycle container not only creates unnecessary waste in the environment but also depletes our Earth’s natural resources as another package is created using new materials instead of recycled ones. I don’t know about you but that matters to me. With three small kids, doing whatever I can now to ensure they have what they need and their kids have what they need someone really matters a lot to me. What we take for granted now may not even be available to them in the future. Protecting our resources means protecting our families future. Start doing your part today by buying food and beverages in recyclable packaging. By only recycling 30% of our waste – the energy we save is the equivalent of 25 million cars driving around. I know at our house, we are doing way better than 30% and knowing these details helps me to remember to not be lazy and toss that bottle or carton in the trash instead of recycling.
One action – three results. Conserve energy, reduce landfill waste and save energy. What’s stopping you? Recycle today and every day.
