Are cans with wrapped labels recyclable?

I am sort of thinking this is a gag post since it is a really strange topic.

 

Yes.

 

Glad you asked, as I've wondered as well but never thought to ask one of the pros. I'd say that @cavedave is the right source to answer the question and now I don't have to feel I should avoid wrapped cans in the future.

 

To take the 'yes' answer a step further for an explanation, when the aluminium is melted for recycling, the plastic wrap just burns away.

 

So, we're helping and hurting the environment at the same time!

 

Yep.

The solution to that problem is a "which is worse" answer. The cleanest solution is don't buy canned beer at all. That eliminates several problems all at once. :-)

 

When in doubt just tosh it in the trash bin with the rest of the non-recyclable stuff. Besides, from what I've seen, recyclable guidelines seem to vary from location to location, so I'm not sure I would trust people from other states that are responding to your query.

 

Exactly, in my state our recycle allows glass, plastic, paper, metals, etc. So there is zero issue. I don't really worry about it to be honest, I consider recycling as something I do to help out, if I toss some items into reg trash oh well, life will go on, it is not that finite that we catch every scrap, I think people obsess over little stuff.

 

Well I am a green guy. Nothing compostable, re-usable, or recyclable goes into the trash. Zero. And I manage a recycle facility, and study recycling as part of the job, and pull many thousands of pounds of recyclable materials from the waste stream..

It is far better to recycle a can with plastic sleeve than it is to add it to the waste problem and have to mine and process bauxite for the next can.

At some point it will be a crime to discard recyclable items. It should be a crime now.

 

I would not go far as calling it a crime considering the waste that our government commits daily. Yes, we all can do our part with making things better I agree. I know I make efforts to recycle and show my kids the same direction but I am not religious about each item. I understand your point of view but we cannot criminalize people for tossing a piece of plastic into the wrong bin, if anything that would sour people to the entire idea. I think most people are pretty good about making efforts to help, I would not want to punish people for this, that seems little too extreme.

 

Not to derail the thread but when you put things into the trash they don't magically disappear.

I wish sometimes I had the luxury of being able to disregard blissfully what happens due to my actions and inactions on this planet.

Ideally all beer should be in returnable, reusable glass bottles, and new glass bottles would only need to be made when the supply runs short.

 

I agree with you on a lot of this. All I am saying is that no one is perfect and we all are busy so yes at times I don't do my part but as a whole I do pretty good with it. Just saying we are not all bad because we are not 100% all the time. I look at recycle years ago and today we are so much better than before. I do agree that if we can re-use items then we should to avoid waste.

 

Well I sure hope that EPA says that the fumes from the plastic that burns off are captured and scrubbed before going into the atmosphere, but I don't know that for a fact.

 

I guess growlers are the way to go!

 

Looks like the OP got his answer.

Note: we all should recycle, it's really easy to do no matter what part of the world you live in.

Cheers!