Comments on: Staples discarded per year?

Question: Staples discarded per year?

arrhn — Sun, 12 Nov 2006 22:49:11 -0800

How many staples (metal pieces out of a stapler used to bind papers) are thrown away per year in the United States? In the world? Please cite a print reference if possible. Alternatively, I imagine that most staples are discarded. How many are produced?

By: fourstar

fourstar — Sun, 12 Nov 2006 23:25:19 -0800

Not exactly staples, but there are an estimated 20 billion paper clips sold each year

By: limeonaire

limeonaire — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 04:54:26 -0800

I don't know if most staples are discardedmany of them still go into storage files attached to countless receipts, invoices, and other such ephemera. A lot of industries still keep paper records of everything.

By: fixedgear

fixedgear — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 08:38:15 -0800

Government employee here, and as limeonaire noted - don't assume that the bulk of them get discarded.

By: Pollomacho

Pollomacho — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 17:28:54 -0800

In some government offices I've worked in, the files, after spending their requisite time in a fle cabinet were taken out, shredded, pulverized and turned to dust. The paper dust was seperated from the plastic dust and metal dust and everything was recycled.

Some of that metal would be staples, some clips.