A Little Label Does a Lot for Recycling

My biggest struggle after eating packaged food is trying to decide where to throw the wrapping away. It seems plastic, but is it the type of plastic that should be recycled? If I'm not sure, which I'm usually not, my default is to just throw it away.

Well, it was until I came to the UK.

In the US, there is a way to check. On plastics there is usually a small number inside a triangle made of arrows, which ranges from 1 to 7, and from there (if you're aware of their meanings) make the proper recycling decision.

This system makes me, the consumer, have to work pretty hard to recycle and often I won't.

Alternatively, most products in the UK have clear labels that describe the packaging and whether or not it is recycled. So if I'm ever unsure about a package, I simply look at the product and it tells me “widely recycled,” “check local recycling,” or “not currently recycled.”

This scheme started in the UK in 2009 and now over 550 brands use the standardized labeling.

It works: more than 7 in 10 consumers in the UK recognize this message.

Most consumers want to help the environment, so making it easy for them creates obvious results. The UK recycles 43.5 per cent of waste while the US recycles only 34.6 per cent, according to the World Recycling League. So maybe it's time to be a bit clearer about recycling in America.