Did you know that talking about sustainability with children from an early age and explaining recycling not only helps shape future citizens but can also bring benefits like improved academic performance, increased self-confidence, and better collaboration skills?

And it doesn’t have to be a boring task. On the contrary, it can be an adventure full of discoveries — not just for children, but also for parents and educators.

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Why should children learn about recycling?

Teaching children about sustainability and recycling is important because this is the age when we are most receptive to learning new things—and when we are shaped as citizens.

“Childhood is the phase when we develop habits,” says Mariana Almeida from Instituto Recicleiros. “If you learn from a young age, it becomes natural.” Adults, on the other hand, often find it much harder to change old habits, like throwing away trash without sorting it.

Talking about this topic helps develop a generation that understands its role in caring for the planet. But there are many other benefits that environmental awareness can bring to children.

A literature review conducted by researchers at Stanford University analyzed over 100 studies on environmental education for children from kindergarten to age 12. It found that this practice benefits other areas of children's lives, such as overall academic performance. By using nature as a practical laboratory, students enhance their skills in science, math, and even language arts, applying theoretical concepts to real-world problems.

Researchers also found that environmental education helps develop life skills. Students involved in environmental projects show greater ability to work in teams, solve complex problems, and take on leadership roles. This strengthens self-confidence and the belief that they can make positive changes. And, of course, teaching sustainability also helps form more engaged citizens.

Children can be powerful influencers at home. When they learn something new and important at school, they often encourage their parents to change habits. “Children end up being a focal point to get everyone recycling,” says Mariana.

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What is recycling simple for kids?

Speaking in a language that kids understand is essential to spark their interest in the topic. For example, explain that recycling means a broken toy doesn’t have to live in the trash forever—it can be transformed into other objects and have a new life. Recycling is like taking apart a LEGO set and using the pieces to build something new.

This way, we not only reduce the amount of trash polluting the Earth, but we also give objects a second chance to be part of our lives. Plus, we save the natural resources that would be used to make new things, helping preserve the planet.

10 Fun Recycling Facts for Kids

To help spark children’s curiosity, here’s a list of fun and surprising recycling facts.

1. A recycled soda or juice can could become a new one in just a few days

A soda can, once recycled, can return to supermarket shelves as a new can in just 60 days, according to the Can Manufacturers Institute. Aluminum recycling not only saves natural resources but also helps generate income for people in Brazil.

2. Glass is a recycling champion

Glass is an amazing material because it can be recycled almost infinitely. “It’s like it has eternal life,” says Flavia Natera from Instituto Recicleiros.

3. Plastic takes a long time to decompose

Some types of plastic can take up to 500 years to decompose in nature, according to the United Nations. That means a plastic bottle could outlive several generations!

4. Many everyday items can be recycled

Connecting children’s everyday objects to recycling helps them understand what can be reused. Juice boxes, cookie packages, and beach buckets are great examples.

5. Trash needs to take a bath - just like us

For materials to be properly recycled, they need to be clean. A quick rinse of yogurt containers and milk cartons helps remove food residue and ensures the material can be reused.

6. Not everything that looks recyclable actually is

Some items are tricky. Kitchen sponges, photographs, and mirrors aren’t recyclable in the usual way. But pill blister packs can be! They need to be disposed of in special bins, usually found in pharmacies. Learning to sort properly is important.

7. Recycling helps protect animals

By recycling waste, we prevent items from being improperly discarded and ending up in rivers and oceans, protecting animals like turtles, fish, and birds that could get sick from eating or getting tangled in trash.

8. Recycling is a very, very old idea

The first time someone thought of reusing materials was over a thousand years ago. Historical records show that in Japan, around the year 1031, paper was already being recycled to make new products.

9. You can recycle by making toys

Materials like cardboard boxes and toilet paper rolls can be used to create all kinds of new toys, like puppets, dollhouses, and even homemade pinball machines. Check out some ideas here.

10. Computers and cell phones can be recycled too

Electronic devices are recyclable but shouldn’t be thrown in regular trash. To give them a new life, you need to find specific collection points or companies and NGOs with recycling programs. Some even offer free home pickup.

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Conclusion: Recycling is thinking about the future

Talking about recycling with children opens the door to a more sustainable future—and there’s no shortage of ideas to make the topic fun and engaging for them.

The biggest challenge, as Flavia and Mariana point out, often isn’t the children, but the adults around them who struggle to adopt sustainable habits.

By presenting the topic in a playful way, with hands-on activities and, most importantly, by setting an example at home and school, we show that caring for the planet is a mission for everyone, regardless of age. Every washed bottle, every sorted paper, and every curious question is a seed of a more conscious and responsible world that we are planting today.

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