Only Natural
What you and your kids can do at home: • Reduce food waste by making a meal plan and shopping list, and buying to the list. Financially and environmentally it's better to buy more later if you need it, than to waste what you have too much of. Ask the kids to help decide what goes on the menu that week, and make other meals with your leftovers. • Look critically at products when shopping and question whether or not they’re sensibly packaged or over-packaged. Simple and single materials, like plastic or glass yoghurt tubs, recycle better than combined materials like plastic tubs wrapped in a cardboard sleeve. • If you find items in the supermarket with excess packaging (and it annoys you as much as it does us) call the Packaging Line on 1300 30 80 30 and make a complaint. They pass your complaint on to the manufacturer, who must respond within 20 working days. • Set up a worm farm or compost at home. Kids love the responsibility of caring for these additions to the family and your plants will love the natural fertiliser that is produced. • Set your family a challenge – see how much
...environmental and naturebased activities during childhood can shape future environmental attitudes and behaviours. you can reduce your household rubbish bin by composting food scraps, recycling cartons, cans and paper products, and making purchasing decisions that involve less packaging. The volume of your normal household rubbish should shrink dramatically! • Then look for recycled products such as exercise books, pens, office paper and toilet paper to purchase. We need to buy the outputs of recycling to make the whole cycle economically viable and send the right signal to manufacturers. • Australia lags well behind Europe, Japan and most of the US in battery recycling. Recently ALDI Supermarkets and Battery World stores have set up collection points, so get in the habit of using them. Better still, from an environmental and budgetary point of view, use rechargeables.
get you started. http://recyclingweek.planetark. org/kids-teachers/kids.cfm • Aluminium cans and drink containers are common at sporting events, as well as picnics and barbeques. If you're out and about and can’t find a public place recycling bin, remember to take your cans and drink containers home with you to be recycled. • Over the festive season, check out Planet Ark’s 12 Do’s of Christmas tips for a greener Christmas and New Year. Visit: http://12dos.planetark.org/ • To find local options for the items that don’t go in the kerbside bin, check out Planet Ark’s handy Recyclingnearyou.com.au website or hotline on 1300 733 712. Engage the kids by getting them to do some of the searching for you.
Recycling at School • Instead of buying birthday or Christmas cards and wrapping paper, get your kids to have a go at making some from cereal boxes, old ribbons and odds and ends that will otherwise be thrown out. It will keep them occupied for an afternoon and save you money! Planet Ark even has a Recycled Arts and Crafts Guide to
Many schools embrace sustainability programs that help engage the students, such as composting food scraps in a worm farm or compost, the results of which go back on the school’s garden to help the plants grow. This cyclical and handson example of the benefits of recycling is a great lesson for kids to understand. continued on next page...
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Kids on the Coast – January / February 2013
www.kidsonthecoast.com.au