Peeling the labels off beer cans

Just peeled off the plastic label from the Brewing Projekt beer can I just had, and it peeled off great. In my last post I was talking about pulling paper labels off bottles though. I'm thinking I won't bother peeling them, unless brewers start using plastic labels on bottles too.

 

I peel off the labels and my kids use the side with adhesive to get cat hair off our rugs and stairs (like a lint roller). Been doing this long enough to know which breweries have easy-to-peel labels (Pipeworks, Phase Three) and which leave a ton of adhesive on the can (Half Acre). For those, a little warm water inside the can helps get the label off, but they’re still useless for the cat hair.

 

This is why German beers are the best. Most of the beer labels come right off with a quick hot water rinse or run through the dish machine. Best tasting, provides bottles for home brewing, and easy to recycle.

 

The Brewers Association recently posted an article on this topic (well, the specific OP topic of recycling w/o the plastic stickers/labels). Inexplicably, they put it behind a paywall - seems to me that's a story consumers and other non-BA members should read...but.
Alternative Can Label Recycling Challenges

 

For me personally TRVE brewing was the first one I saw that perforated the label so you can rip it off like breakaway pants and thats really cool. Most other places I only find sticky glue.

 

I'm sorry, I don't think the solution to recycling beer cans involves peeling off the entire beer label. I appreciate all of the input and personal effort.
It's not even listed on the cans. Even if it was, the reality is that it's not going to happen for the majority of beer and craft beer drinkers. You (either the brewer or the recycling plant, not the consumer) must find a way and make it easy to recycle and recycle the can that is. I'm just trying to outline a pragmatic recycling pathway forward and I don't think peeling beer labels in order to recycle is it.

 

Well then, I hope you're at least throwing the cans in the garbage or checking with your local recycling facility on whether cans with vinyl labels can be recycled. When our town switched waste haulers, we got a pamphlet about removing impurities from each type of material (food & lids for glass, plastic in aluminum, food & grease on paper, etc.). I called and the rep said vinyl labels and the nitro balls in Guinness cans are contaminants that should be thrown away if they can't be separated (when in doubt, throw it out). Paper labels on glass & aluminum are OK because they burn off in the process.

 

Yeah, know what you mean. Every time I do it, I think:
"Damn! That's 3 seconds of life I'll never get back! And who knows how many calories I'll have to consume to make up the energy I just used!"

I've seen it printed on cans - but I can't remember from which brewer.

 

So, after perusing this thread, I just had to try peeling a label off a can. I apparently lack two things 1) finger nails ) patience. Those cans are going I'm the recycle bin the same way they came into the house. Take 'em or leave 'em... no ****'s given.

 

Our recycling reminder for our county came today and this was on it. Never noticed it before…it’s funny cause I recognize the beer they used:

 

I return cans bought in NY for deposit as is when emptied

Everything else gets put in recycling can. I've never removed a label on purpose. Although definitely wish they would use paper vs plastic as someone who is trying to use less plastic

 

Or a dog. From sound asleep to reproachful stare in a heartbeat.

 

So, this is my first one in a hopefully growing collection. As you can see it cost me 15 cents, but definitely worth it!

 

So, I suppose this would be out of the question:

 

Even if you live in an area where there is no concern regarding water conservation, there is the energy to pump and clean the water. It needs to be cleaned before distribution to your faucet, and after it arrives at the sewage Dpt. Then again, you might have well water and a private septic system, I. Which case it’s not that big of an issue.

As Paul Harvey made a living, there is more to the story.

 

OK, I have peeled the labels off of four cans now and can definitively state that the dog does not enjoy the sound at all. Previously the most horrible noise in his world was the smoke alarm going off however, since I drink more beer than I start fires in the kitchen (by a narrow margin), it's likely to be a source of anguish for him.

 

Peel it off while the can is full, see if that bothers the dog.

 

I peel off labels from cans and bottles when they come off easily and stick them to the walls of my basement bar area. My basement has grey paneling from the 1950s, so I spruce up the drab walls with some great artwork of beers past.

I never gave the recycling angle a thought. Perhaps, I will do it all the time now.

 

This is definitely another pollution issue that needs to be solved at the manufacturer level.

Asserting that recycling will only be possible as long as consumers take extra steps that are not at all intuitive unless you're already mentally invested in the mechanics of recycling is a recipe for abject failure.