GLOBAL RECYCLING DAY MARCH 18 - IF YOU LOVE PLANET EARTH, RECYCLE

Former primary school teacher Emma Shingleton from education resource experts PlanBee has some top tips on how to make the world a better place

Global Recycling Day (March 18) is the ideal time to renew our efforts to make the planet a cleaner place. Don’t forget to involve your children, who will have to clear up the mess we adults have left behind.

The next generation

Teaching children about our changing world and how to preserve and protect our environment is incredibly important. Many children are extremely well educated on these issues and may have knowledge to impart to you!

Go slow on fast fashion

Recycling textiles and fabrics means less land, water and fertiliser is needed to grow cotton. Your unwanted clothes might be wanted by somebody else. Why not take them to a local charity shop and benefit your community? And make a resolution to buy fewer, better-made clothes that last for longer.

Can-do on drinks

Don’t forget that if all the drink cans produced in the UK were laid end to end, they would stretch to all the way to the moon – three times over! Why not use a reusable drinks bottle instead?

Think before you print

The average family in the UK uses the equivalent of six trees’ worth of paper every year. Read online and always opt for the digital option when it comes to utility bills, for example. And when you do have to print something out, make sure that you recycle it when it’s no longer needed.

Waste not 

Reduce food waste by creating a compost bin and use the compost on the plants you grow outside, however small the area. If you’re lucky enough to have an allotment or garden, all the better.

Fill ‘em up

Cut out single-use plastics for cleaning and beauty products: use shops where refills are available.