If you've ever "been there, done that," you already know that reading the label first can save you time, trouble and money.

RISE, joined by the Environmental Protection Agency and other partners from industry, environmental groups and government agencies, launched a nationwide campaign last spring to encourage consumers to read the information on household product labels.

This "Read the Label FIRST!" campaign is part of the Consumer Labeling Initiative (CLI), an ongoing partnership to improve labels and help consumers purchase, use, and dispose of products more safely and responsibly. The campaign coincides with new, easier-to-read labels on many home pesticide and cleaning products now on store shelves.

Based on three years of national consumer research on how people read and use product labels, companies are voluntarily changing their labels to make them easier to read and understand. For example, RISE members and the EPA are simplifying label language, replacing bureaucratic phrases such as "Statement of Practical Treatment" with plain English equivalents, like "First Aid." With the help of poison control centers and other health professionals, first aid directions on labels are now easier to understand and follow. The new labels also present information in a clearer, more eye-catching way by putting key words and phrases in bulleted and boxed formats.

For more information on the Read the Label First! campaign, visit the EPA's web page at www.epa.gov/oppt/labeling.