We The Parents
Whether my Dad was a progressive, or just wanting to make some extra cash, he taught us early on the value of recycling. Once every two or three months, we’d haul our aluminum down to the recycling center and get a decent payout. The notion of exchanging what someone else might simply throw away—and getting cash for it—stuck with me ever since.
I’m passing the importance of recycling onto my own sons. They’ve helped me sort bottles and cans, plastics and paper. I’m teaching them that when we buy a bottled drink, we are paying for the plastic container, and can choose to throw in the waste stream, or return it and make some money. They’ve marveled at the sights and sounds of the recycling center, and enjoy it when we use our profits for a sweet treat.
I’m also teaching them to turn off the water after they’ve wet their hands and soaped up, scrubbing their little paws clean before they turn the faucet back on to rinse. Same for teeth brushing. I also remind them to turn off lights that are not in use, and when we walk through our complex and pass the solar panel array, I tell them that the sun’s rays are captured in those panels and converted to electricity to power the homes.
While the primary objective is to teach them how conservation helps our planet, the economic lesson follows. Returning a bottle means money. Turning the water off means savings. These are our family values.
My sons love garbage day. They stare in awe when the truck pulls up, extends its arm and picks up the bins from our curb. They wave at the sanitation workers, and they honk and wave back. I see a bright tomorrow for my children, and will be thrilled if their vocations involve something having to do with taking care of our planet. It’s really all in their hands, and no one else will teach them, but we their parents.
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Photo credit: Robert Couse-Baker.