Recycling at Camp and at Home: Encouraging Recycling at an Early Age

There are numerous items that can be recycled whether at camp or at home. Why not make it a challenge? Items such as aluminum cans, plastic bottles, printer cartridges, CD’s, books, shower curtains, metal scrap, carpet, mattresses and sports equipment are just a few. Most of these items can be found at camp or at your home. Encouraging campers to not only recycle while at camp, but at home can be challenging. With a small incentive or making them aware that they could be helping others might make recycling a little more fun for your children/campers. 

There are several programs world wide that encourage collection for probable causes. Aluminum Cans for Burned Children (http://www.acbcohio.org/) is one cause here in Ohio that collects aluminum cans and uses the profits to aid burn victims. Recycle Caps with Aveda (http://www.aveda.com/aboutaveda/caps.tmpl) is another program that encourages recycling bottle caps that Aveda then uses in their future products. 

One thing most people aren’t aware of is recycling your plastic bottles with the cap still attached usually results in your bottle being tossed into the trash. Different plastics are used in the bottle versus the cap of almost all products and while both items can be recycled, mixing them together causes the final product to be downgraded. To learn more about recycling plastics found in your everyday lives visit, http://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/187/1/Recycling-by-the-numbers.html. Here you can discover what products are demanded and which ones might be toxic if introduced to heat, as well as what the number within the triangle really means to consumers and manufacturers. 

Utilizing one of these programs or coming up with one on your own will allow children to reach a set goal on collecting items to be recycled with a possible reward at the end. Documenting their process or bringing in receipts from recycled material could be a few ways children keep track of their success.  

Are there any programs in your community or at your camp that encourages people to recycle? Can you share your experiences or any ideas for making recycling a success?  

  Above: A picture showing how easy your camp can incorporate recycling. By putting labels on each can, it is an easy way for campers to help out the environment and others every day.