Spring is finally here, and it’s time to do some conscious cleaning! I’m partnering with Care To Recycle®, a program of Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. that raises awareness about bathroom recycling. I grew up in a household of devoted conservationists. We lived in Mexico City and there was no recycling available. However, that didn’t stop us from starting a program of recycling at the school I went to (Colegio Americano) and also introducing recycling into the American Embassy. To say the least, recycling is part of my DNA. Yet now that I have my own family, I’ve noticed that in the bathroom, we sometimes let things slip and recyclable items end up in the garbage.
Since becoming a mother, I have found that my life has become busier than ever before. Trying to juggle a toddler with being a working mom, often finds me letting things fall by the wayside. For example, I have had times where I put items in the trash that could certainly be recycled. What I had failed to do, is set up a system that is in the bathroom and easy to use. That is where Care To Recycle® has come to the rescue! By setting up a system right in the bathroom, recycling becomes effortless!
I’ve recently learned that I’m not the only one. With so much going on for moms, it’s easy to understand how even the simplest tasks can fall off a to-do list. Children are playing a big role in a mom’s productivity, with three in four moms reporting that involving their kids in their to-do list helps them get more done. The Care To Recycle® program teaches families the importance of recycling bathroom items and re-purposing them for different uses.
I’ve found it fun to get my kiddo involved in setting this up. He actually loves to organize (I know – apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!) and so with his help, we can get the bathroom recycling set up and working for all of us.
Jackson and I have found all kinds of uses for toilet paper rolls. They’re perfect for making poppers for the holidays and birthday celebrations. And any box that crosses our path, is reconfigured for his trains to ride through!
We’ve even set up a Reward Chart that makes it fun for him to use as he completes certain tasks throughout the day. It all started it when we had to change up his regular bedtime routine by adding teeth brushing. The “reward” is a sticker, which he is obsessed with. He loves putting stickers on his “Shining Star Chart” – you can download your very own here.
To begin with, you need to differentiate between those items that are recyclable and those to place in the garbage.
Here are the items you can recycle:
Shampoo and conditioner bottles
Body wash bottles
Lotion bottles
Baby powder bottles
Facial cleanser bottles
Body oil bottles
Toilet paper rolls
Cardboard boxes
Cartons (for over-the-counter medicine, lotions, soap and adhesive bandages)
And here is a list of what you shouldn’t recycle:
Toothbrushes
Toothpaste tubes (they’re made from plastic laminate)
Pumps (they have multiple components). Throw these in the trash then recycle the bottle.
Floss containers (they also contain multiple components)
Recycling can be fun and will take your children on the path of being stewards of their world. I hope this has inspired you to not only begin recycling in your own bathroom but to get the entire family involved in such an incredible mission Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. has begun. For more information and additional printable charts, go to Care To Recycle®!
This post is a partnership with Johnson & Johnson for Brit + Co. All opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting sponsored posts that keep Sacramento Street doors open.
Photos by Andrea Posadas for Sacramento Street