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The planet we live on only has a finite amount of resources. It is essential that people take individual responsibility for the impact that they have on the environment. As an adult, you are in a position where every decision you make can be considered in terms of its environmental merit. Children, however, have less autonomy over how they live their lives, and so it is vital that you show them by example, and teach them an eco-friendlier way to live. To help them understand and put into practice what you teach them, here are 3 eco-projects that your family can do together.
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Make your garden an eco-paradise
Your garden is the ideal location for an eco-paradise. Involving the whole family into the planning of your eco-garden means that they each get a say on the final product. Introduce raised beds to grow your own vegetables, have native flowers in the borders to encourage insects, and add a sense of tranquility with garden water features. Your garden will become an oasis and eco-paradise.
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Have a garage sale
What better way to clear out your excess belongings than hold a garage sale. Toys that are no longer played with, clothes that no longer fit or furniture that is no longer used can be sold. It is an excellent way of decluttering the house but also of keeping the landfill footprint of your family to a minimum.
Turn it into a competition to see who out of the family can earn the most from selling their unwanted belongings. The winner can decide which eco charity that they would like to donate the money to. This is a great opportunity to teach the children about charity: sometimes you do hard work and graft for the benefit of others, and the reward is being able to feel proud of yourself.
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Build an eco-play house
Everything that you buy and bring into the home must leave it in some form or another. Consuming and disposing are built into the nation’s psyche. As a family, why don’t you attempt to go zero waste to help reduce the impact your family has on landfill.
The mantra that you need to adopt is: reduce, reuse and recycle.
Of course, there will be things that you can’t recycle, but this is where it gets exciting. Use any surplus trash such as chip wrappers or rubber bands and stuff them into plastic bottles. Once you have filled the bottle with junk, funnel sand into the bottle and replace the lid. You now have a bottle brick. These are the ideal eco building material and can be used with cob to secure the bricks together.
No matter which eco project you decide is the best fit for your family, working together for a common cause is a wonderful way to bond and spend quality time together. It reaffirms that you don’t need to be constantly consuming to have fun and that self-esteem comes from within and not from the possessions you have.
