Is there anything more recognizable within the sustainability movement than recycling? It’s surely the most pedestrian of any green efforts if you compare it to starting a wind farm, building a LEED building, or buying an electric car. Virtually everyone is capable of recycling. And my guess is that most people would mention the “3 R’s” if asked about “going green.” So why are we still so stubborn when it comes to changing our waste disposal habits? Why are our landfills growing exponentially?

People are aware of recycling, but still not everyone does it. The fact that people are choosing not to recycle despite knowledge of its merits tells me that it’s still too difficult. It’s a matter of activating people and making it easy. But whose job is that? Whose responsible for eliminating all of the barriers that discourage people from recycling? Waste management companies are starting to reward people for recycling. At the same time recycling centers are popping up all over the place. Manufacturers have started to see sustainable packaging evolutions take place, and some businesses are abandoning the all-in-one dumpster approach. Good? Yes. Good enough? No. Recycling needs to become second nature and less of a chore.

We stumbled upon this robust infographic describing how deeply (or shallowly depending on how you look at it) recycling has penetrated our culture. It’s startling, take a look:

Infographic by Recycle – Don’t bin it, recycle it