ABSTRACT
A focus on waste reduction begins at home, where the responsibility of saving resources and energy and, ultimately, the environment is placed on the individual. From the very beginning, children must be educated. The concept of preserving natural resources must be driven home as conscientiously as the teaching of the ABCs. When children become aware of the cycle-for example, that the sand that one plays in at the beach has a connection with the manufacture of the bottle that one drinks from, and that the disposal of the bottle has an impact on the environment-then the interconnectedness of us, our choices, and the quality of the environment can take hold. The children of today are the decision makers, manufacturers, business managers, and the homeowners of tomorrow. Children can become aware of and come to understand the problems associated with environmental management, and they can learn how to initiate real-world solutions to resolve these problems. In addition, individuals of all ages can learn how to work together to preserve resources and the environment for future generations (Burke et al. 2000).
