The perfect way to teach your kiddos environmental awareness is to upcycle kitchen containers. Empty spice vontainers, lemon shaped juice containers, and macaroni and cheese boxes not only show them to reduce-reuse-recycle, but they get to learn how to be adults by mimicking you with the actual products you use. Kids learn best through play, so give them great tools to use.
There's not much cuter than listening to your little one cook and talk like you do.