Staples are one of those tiny recycling dilemmas, they’re usually made of steel, but their small size makes people wonder what to do with them. The good news is you can generally leave them in paper when recycling, as the pulping process turns paper into slurry and screens easily remove small contaminants like staples. If you want to go the extra mile, you could collect staples in something like a steel can (even loosely sealed with foil) so they’re more easily captured in metal recycling systems, which use magnets and eddy currents to separate materials. Or, if you have access to a recycling centre, you can simply drop them straight into the metal bin.

This episode of Recycled Content, is the 'Rubbish or Not' from episode 44 of Talking Rubbish, which first aired on 29th May 2025.

While every effort has been made to provide the most accurate information, recycling guidance changes quickly and some advice may become outdated over time. Always check with your local council for the rules that apply to recycling in your area. On the main Talking Rubbish podcast, we include an additions and corrections section where we update anything we may have got wrong.

These clips come from the weekly show, Talking Rubbish - The Recycling Podcast

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