Paper Shredder FAQ

Shredding your confidential documents before you discard them is your first line of defense against identity theft. Here then, are some of the most frequently asked questions about paper shredders.

1. Why Do I Need A Shredder? These days, with identity theft ever on the rise, you need a shredder, I need a shredder, everyone needs a shredder. Whenever you dispose of any documents containing confidential information – anything with your social security number, account numbers, credit card number, and any sort of financial or health related info, you should shred those puppies and shred them good. If you operate a business, you are required by law to shred or otherwise completely destroy any documents you are disposing of that contain this type of info about your customers or employees under penalty of law. Basically, if you would be unwilling to show a piece of paper to a random stranger walking down the street, then you should shred it.

2. What is the Main Difference Between Shredders? Usually that would be the type of cut they produce, and the relative security that the cut provides. Strip cut shredders work fast and shred a lot of paper, but the long spaghetti like shreds they produce leave the sheets fairly easy to reassemble, and thus don’t give you much security. Cross cut shredders shred documents into confetti, and are almost always the way to go – are, in fact are what is required by law when your business are shredding the documents described above.

3. What is Meant By Sheet Capacity? That refers to the number of sheets that a shredder can shred in one pass. You can usually find that number listen in the manufacturer’s specs of any given shredder, though most machines will behave a little better is you don’t meet that number, but work below it just a little bit. There are other kinds of capacity as well, such as feet per minute, sheets per day, and motor speed. To find what is right for you, just estimate the number of sheets you will need to shred in a typical day and find the classification that your ideal shredder resides in (personal, small office, etc) and compare prices and abilities from there.

4. What Else Can I Shred? A fair number of the better shredders on the market can not only handle paper, but can take the odd staple and paper clip as well without any trouble. There are also machines that are able to shred credit cards, and some shredders that can handle compact discs as well. This is something that you will want to consider, as confidential information is often found on these types of discs, and the can be rather difficult to safely get rid of otherwise.

5. What Are The Sizes Of Shredders? It varies a little between manufacturers, but in general you will find shredders that are meant for personal use, some that are meant for small offices of a handful of people, departmental shredders, and large, conveyor-belt fed industrial shredders. To find the type of shredder that is right for you, simply create an estimate of the number of sheets you will likely need to shred in a given day, and work from there. These stats are listed my most manufacturers as well as retailers, so with a little research, you should be able to find the shredder that is right for you.