Recycling Needs to Be Made Easy.

• Position: YOUR LIFE

While the effort to increase recycling rates traditionally has focused on education and awareness, a study conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries suggests action by brands and government may play a significant role as well. The poll revealed that 66% of Americans agree that "if a product is not easy/convenient for me to recycle, I probably would not recycle it."

"Understanding what is recyclable and what is not, can be confusing," says Robin Wiener, president of ISRI. 'The easier it is for people to understand if a product is recyclable, the more likely it is to make its way to the recycling stream. This includes not only making products that are easy to recycle through design for recycling and product labeling, but making recycling convenient through collection efforts."

Eighty-one percent of those surveyed would like to see manufacturers and/or retailers display a "Recycling Guide" label on products (similar to the Energy Guide label on appliances) that would detail the parts and percentage of the product that could be recycled and how. Having this information more prominent may help Americans consider these aspects of their...