a machine for removing tubular plastic labels from bottles to facilitate their re - use and recycling . the machine has a multi - station turret and supply and exit conveyors to sequentially supply labeled bottles in line to the turret and remove delabeled bottles from the turret . the delabeling is accomplished with a cutter which is preferably in the form of a high - pressure jet of water . ideally , the cutter is adjusted so that it is a differential cutter which will cut a label without cutting or marring a bottle from which a label is being removed . with one embodiment , a water flush mechanism is provided to flush cut labels from their bottles and the turret onto a screen conveyor . the flush water passes through the conveyor into a container from which it is pumped for re - use . removed labels are transported by the screen conveyor to a collection bin . with another embodiment , an air blast mechanism is used to strip cut labels from bottles and a vacuum pick up is used to collect stripped labels .