The Princess of Wales has disclosed that her family embraces an environmental ethos inspired by the animated children's character Bob the Builder.
During her trip to the northern Italian city of Reggio Emilia, Catherine visited the Remida centre, which transforms industrial waste into creative materials for youngsters.
Speaking with a smile at the facility, she said: "There's a popular character called Bob the Builder, and he has a philosophy of 'reduce, reuse, recycle', and you embrace that here.
"It's something as a mother, and I feel as a family we do a lot, is try to have at the back of our minds."
The Princess of Wales has revealed she follows advice from Bob the Builder
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The Remida centre functions as a resource hub where educators bring pre-school children to participate in specially designed projects that enhance learning through creative activities.
Businesses, including Tetra Pak, donate surplus materials to the facility, ranging from vibrant wool and string to textiles and large plastic tubes.
Catherine handled fabric samples used by children for making collages and expressed that it was "fantastic to see" these items being repurposed rather than ending up in a landfill.
The princess had travelled to the region to explore its internationally acclaimed early years education approach, which emphasises the role of parents, teachers and the surrounding environment as "the third teacher" in a child's development.
The Princess of Wales visited Remida, Reggio Emilia's creative resource centre
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The princess commenced her day at a public infant-toddler centre and nursery school, where outdoor learning and environmental education form core elements of the curriculum.
Catherine joined youngsters and staff in an outdoor activity, observing as they handled newts from a tank.
She also paid tribute to Sir David Attenborough, who recently marked his 100th birthday, remarking: "In most urban areas, even in central London, we have newts like this. It's extraordinary, if you look and spend time, you realise how close it is to you."
The princess added: "David Attenborough says you have to be able to experience nature in order to protect it - it's so true."
Catherine played with some children at Remida, il Centro di Riciclaggio Creativo in Reggio Emilia
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Catherine noted the collaborative approach between public and private sectors that enables the Remida centre to operate, observing: "That's what I've really picked up on."
The facility welcomes more than 3,000 visitors annually, including educators and teachers from across the globe seeking to learn from the Reggio Emilia model.
For her Italian engagement, the princess chose to honour her hosts through her wardrobe, donning a blazer from luxury brand Blaze Milano and what appeared to be a fabric bracelet by Milan-based jewellery company Atelier Molayem.