Binder Clips (pack)

Material Composition Assumptions

A standard binder clip pack contains 12-24 clips with a total weight between 50-100 grams. The predominant material is cold-rolled steel wire accounting for approximately 64 grams or 85% of the total weight. A thin nickel-plated coating adds roughly 4 grams representing 5% of the composition. The cardboard packaging contributes about 6 grams or 8% of the total weight. A small amount of plastic clamshell or wrap material makes up the remaining 1.5 grams or 2% of the package weight.

Manufacturing Geography

The majority of binder clip manufacturing occurs in China, where large-scale steel processing facilities and office supply production lines are concentrated. Chinese manufacturing benefits from established supply chains for steel wire production and metal forming equipment. The electrical grid intensity in China averages 555 gCO2e per kilowatt-hour, which significantly influences the carbon footprint of electricity-intensive manufacturing processes like wire drawing and metal forming.

Regional Variation

Manufacturing Region	Grid Intensity	Estimated CCI Score	Adjustment vs Default
China	555 gCO2e/kWh	2.8	Baseline
Germany	366 gCO2e/kWh	2.3	-18%
India	708 gCO2e/kWh	3.2	+14%
Norway	24 gCO2e/kWh	1.9	-32%
United States	386 gCO2e/kWh	2.4	-14%

Provenance Override Guidance

1. Primary material composition data showing the exact percentage and grade of steel wire used in clip construction
2. Manufacturing facility location with specific electricity grid carbon intensity data for the production site
3. Transportation records documenting shipping distances and modes from steel supplier to assembly facility
4. Energy consumption data for wire drawing, forming, and assembly operations per unit of production
5. Packaging specifications including cardboard weight, plastic content, and any recycled material percentages

Methodology Notes

• The CCI score represents cradle-to-gate emissions for one complete package of binder clips including all materials and manufacturing processes
• Scope 3 emissions dominate at 80% due to upstream steel production and raw material processing
• Scope 2 accounts for 15% reflecting electricity consumption during manufacturing operations
• Scope 1 represents 5% covering direct fuel use and on-site combustion at manufacturing facilities
• The functional unit is defined as one retail package containing 12-24 individual clips
• End-of-life recycling benefits are excluded from this cradle-to-gate assessment
• Data gaps exist around specific alloy compositions and detailed energy consumption during wire forming processes