Someone correct me if I’m wrong but I don’t think that stripping happens on this side of the Atlantic but if you love your books pristine even after reading this post, The Dirty World of Book Stripping, might not be for you. Though it does show what happens to American paperbacks after their shelf-life expires.
It’s not just milk that has a use by date!
Yes it still happens this side of the Atlantic with some publishers. Or, more often the title page is ripped out and returned (Cheaper than posting many returns and saving the publisher stripping — especially for damaged or soon to be out of print titles — & the rest of the book can then be recycled). Though I think it happens a little less than in the past … as books can be sold on to remainder shops etc.