Teach children from an early age to reduce the amount of prepackaging they use. Children as early as preschool-age can be shown how to take water to school in a thermos and bring snacks in a reusable plastic container rather than consuming lots of food items with their own individual packaging on a daily basis. Model for children how to rinse out containers so that they can be used over and over again while reducing packaging waste.
It is important to teach children to reuse items, so that they can get lots and lots of use out of them. Show children how you take your own grocery bags to the store over and over again, rather than contributing to more trash by using disposable bags. Children love to draw. Discourage children from taking a new sheet of paper to draw on. Create a space where used shopping lists, junk mail and letters can be turned over for children to draw on their backs. Encourage kids to donate unused toys to others who can use them.
Often, too much emphasis is placed on recycling for children. While children should recycle as much as they possibly can, they also need to be taught that recycling is the final link in the chain of reducing, reusing and recycling, because by following the first two tenets, we can reduce the amount of materials that need to be recycled. However, once homes have worked to reduce their consumption and reuse materials whenever possible, they can recycle many more items than they should be putting in the trash.
To really understand the importance of sustaining our Earth and its resources, children must be taught to appreciate and nurture our planet. Take children for simple nature walks from an early age. Teach them to appreciate the beauty of trees and plants. Bring them to places where they can see streams, rivers and creeks, and talk to them about the importance of clean, unpolluted water. Model for them a love of plants and natural foods, and emphasize the importance of caring for our Earth well so that they can continue to enjoy these things and someday share them with their own children.