Now I ranted on my last post. This is going to be one of those little picky annoyances.
We have blue box service which picks up material which can be recycled...tin cans, paper and some plastics. I am fully supportive of recycling. I think there should be more recycling as more things could be and should be recycled and reused. I applaud our city and all other cities that have set up a blue box service.
We are requested to take off all labels. Most labels come of very easily. However about 10% of the labels are extremely difficult to remove. Soak them! Scrape them! Try as you like , the label comes off in tiny little pieces.
So here's my pitch. Why can't the people at the beginning of the process communicate with the people at the end of the process and have glue on the labels that makes it easy to take off the label?
Has anybody else had this problem or am I just a whiner?
I don't have this problem because our city doesn't require that we remove labels. I've heard that vinegar works to break down stubborn adhesives. I've never tried it though.
ReplyDeleteManufacturers probably have to walk a fine line between glues which adhere too firmly and those that risk the label coming off if the product gets wet sometime between factory and the consumer. Some might just err on the side of caution.
I notice other people saying they are not required to take off labels. Taking off labels doesn't make a lot of sense as whatever process these materials go through would certainly remove labels.
DeleteHey, whine all you want; at least you're recycling which is more than most people do.
ReplyDeleteThe city provides the boxes and picks the stuff up every week.
DeleteIt goes deeper than the labels.
ReplyDeleteHow much hot water are you wasting taking labels off?
Recycling here is a big industry. We have different bins for everything. The lorry comes round and just collects them all together.
Several bins for different stuff would make sense to me. I've been in the plant here and they separate the stuff by hand.
DeleteI can't believe they expect you to take off the labels. I never heard of that. Australians would be far too lazy to do that. Your guys expect you to be very industrious and highly committed. And they must have some weird ( or inefficient) recycling technology. Someone once told me that you're supposed to take covers off plastic bottles, too - or else puncture the plastic. But then I was told that's nonsence - that the machine they put these things through handles all these things easily.
ReplyDeleteWe are also required to take off lids but that's because the lids are made of stuff they can't process.
DeleteYOU HAVE TO TAKE OFF YOUR LABELS??? This would make Americans apopletic! They are so busy working that they barely recycle as it is. I have often felt we should do the same with those clam shell packaging items. Talk to the production end.
ReplyDeletePackaging is way over the op. I'm sure that in some cases the packaging is worth more that the product it contains.
DeleteIf you are a whiner then so am I. I have the same problem. A solution cannot be too difficult. My father was a wrapping machine mechanic back in the 50s and 60s : it is just the kind of problem he would have loved to solve.
ReplyDeleteI believe the problem has already been solved . there are many labels that come off easily. That was my thinking about the communication aspect.
DeleteI do not think you are a whiner Red. Its really difficult to get those darn labels off sometimes - so what is going to happen if you cannot get it off - will the Garbage Pickup come to your curb and pass you by - do you get to keep all the containers that you couldn't get the lid off - or do you scour and scour until you get those damm labels off? AND, why is everything still plastic - plastic grocery bags, plastic bottles, plastic everything. Why do grocery stores still have plastic bags?? Been to a dump site lately - its all plastic bags. How is it, that, with all the supposed recycling going on, the dump sites are filled with plastic bags? Unfortunately the Blue Box is not set up everywhere - there are allowances for "special people". You do your part Red, many do not. Back to your post - I haven't figured out the stubborn label thing yet. I usually just soak them overnight in soapy water.
ReplyDeleteI'll be honest . If the label is a pain to take off I leave it on.
DeleteI do go to our waste management site. There are huge fences around it to try and control plastic bags from blowing.
We recycle but are not required to remove any labels. Our apartment complex has several large recycling bins, which are picked up at a different time than the regular trash. Most people do recycle around these parts. :-)
ReplyDeleteIt seems only half of the people have to take labels off. Something's not quite right.
Deletei think that is a valid beef. it probably costs a fraction of a penny more for 'easy removal' glue so companies 'stick' with the hard stuff.
ReplyDeleteThe easy glue is certainly available as many container labels come off easily.
DeleteI agree with TexWisGirl...you have a valid complaint.
ReplyDeleteLinda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com
I now find out that half of us are asked to take labels off and half aren't. Go figure!
DeleteSounds like a valid complaint to me. This reminds me of one of my pet peeves...the price stickers. They are so difficult to remove when you buy dishes, frames, etc. Don't they realize you will wnat to remove the price tag!
ReplyDeleteYes, stickers are another example and the glue leaves a residue that you have to work at to get off.
DeleteI think that's a very good idea.
ReplyDeleteAround here (Minneapolis) we don't have to remove the labels. As a matter of fact, we just started a system whereby we don't even have to sort anymore -- it all goes in one bin!
Pearl
Yes , all of our recycle stuff goes in one bin.
DeleteStrange having to remove paper labels! Most here are glued on so well that you would use an awful lot of hot water (that costs money) and get yourself into a lather of sweat.
ReplyDeleteAll households in Australia, well ones in States, I have recently visited have two bins.
Even each apartment in a big apartment building is allocated the two bins.
The Yellow ones are for recycling stuff and the green one is for rubbish. The yellow ones are collected fortnightly, the green on a weekly basis. Two different rubbish trucks, as for what happens after collection, well I don't know!
As for removing labels, I would be surprised if that would work here, I for one, would not be wasting my time - ha ha.
We have three bins and three trucks which pick up weekly. We have a pickup for plant refuse and it's made into compost.
DeleteWow, we don't have to take off labels for recycling and i'm glad!!
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm with Ladycat on stoopid extra-sticky price stickers!
I've been surprised to find out that about half of you don't have to take of stickers.
DeleteThis is the issue with a democracy. We don't have to take off labels. We live in a county with a horrible recycling system, though. They do very little. Happy ranting!
ReplyDeleteRecycling is still beyond the rural areas. I'm not usually a ranter. I'm actually a pretty mellow guy. At least I think so anyway.
Deletesomeday when i have time I am going to research recycling...and see what really happens. we aren'e supposed to put lids in our recycle and yet we can put glass in the recycle..and it all goes in the same truck. I am interested in how it all works...
ReplyDeleteI've seen some parts of recycling and it's not rocket science. What really gets me is that sometimes the recyclable stuff goes to waste management sites.
DeleteNope you're not a whiner by no means, it's so true that some labels can be a nightmare to take off!
ReplyDeleteWe can leave our labels on..good thing too..because I would hate soaking jars etc to get them off..industrial glue is used on Ketsup bottles. We recycle everything we can..and I was so happy when they decided to collect all paper..and it doesn't need to be separated into Newspaper, Glossy or Office. One giant leap for mankind. But not all people recycle.
ReplyDeleteThe earth is becoming a dump..:(