My oldest is all about reusing and recycling. I wish I could say that it is something he has learned from us, but when it comes to recycling I shamefully admit that I just don't out of pure laziness. (I'm sure many of you are gasping in horror right now.) I keep meaning to look into it in our area, to see if they pick up recyclables here, but I just haven't. I DO however reuse things a lot. I buy almost all of our clothes gently used from resale shops, such as Once upon a child and Planet Exchange. Last summer we had a yard sale at my mom's and the money went towards buying new (used) clothes. I cut open cereal boxes and let the kids draw on the blank cardboard inside. One time they drew pictures of bunnies and nature scenes on the inside of an Annie's Organic cheddar bunnies box and a mailed it to them, along with a letter. We received a nice letter in return along with a cute magnet. We keep paper towel rolls to tape together and make swords. Instead of buying small trash bags for the bathrooms I use plastic grocery bags I have saved. I try to re-use glass and plastic containers to store things in. The list goes on and on.. but, basically I try to throw away as little as possible. I do know that I need to start recycling as well though. Anyway.. this morning my oldest made a house for his chess set people out of a fruit snacks box. I am always so impressed how he saves things and remakes them into something else.. all on his own, without my suggesting. In the past he has made many musical instruments and several other creations. It makes me feel so good to know he cares so much about our environment. I call him my little eco-warrior for God. :) I have so much to learn from him!
This is one of the things I remember (and recall) about the state you live in--that there's no bottle return, recycling, still smoking in public places, etc--has any of that changed? We have curb-side recycling pick-up plus recycling facilities, usually several to a community (we're in Maine, plus bottle deposit, no billboards, no smoking in any public indoor spaces). I'm sure it's difficult to get motivated when your community or state doesn't make it easy enough for you to recycle. It sounds like you are doing everything else really well, because the first tenet is "reduce", which you are doing.
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