Your first line of defense on identity theft is shredding those confidential documents before you discard them. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about paper shredders.
1. Why Do I Need A Shredder?
With identity theft always on the rise, you need a shredder; everyone needs a shredder. When disposing of documents containing confidential information –anything with an account number, credit card number, and any financial or health-related info - you should shred your documents well. Basically, if you wouldn't show a piece of paper to a random stranger walking down the street, you should shred it.
2. What is the Main Difference between Shredders?
Usually, this refers to the type of cut they produce and the relative security it provides. Strip-cut shredders shred paper quickly, but the long spaghetti-like shreds they produce leave it simple to reassemble the sheets and thus don't provide much security. Crosscut shredders shred documents into confetti and are almost always the way to go – there are even different levels of cross cut sizes depending on the amount of security you need.
3. What is meant by Sheet Capacity?
That refers to the number of sheets that a shredder can shred in one pass. Typically, that number can be found in the manufacturer's specs of any given shredder, though most machines will perform better if you work a little below it. Other kinds of capacity are feet per minute, sheets per day, and motor speed. Estimate the number of sheets you'll need to shred on a typical day and find the class that your ideal shredder resides in (personal, small office, etc.), and then compare prices and abilities from there.
4. What Else Can I Shred?
Many of the better shredders on the market can handle paper and take the odd staple and paper clip. Some machines can shred credit cards, compact discs and even hard drives as well. You may want to consider this, as confidential information is often found on these types of items and they can be rather difficult to get rid of otherwise safely.
5. What are the Sizes of Shredders?
Shredders meant for personal use, small offices of a handful of people, departmental shredders, and large, conveyor-belt fed industrial shredders vary between manufacturers. To find the shredder right for you, estimate the number of sheets you will likely need to shred in a given day and work from there. Most manufacturers and retailers list these stats, so you should find the shredder that is right for you with some research.
You can also reach out directly your Account Manager and we will do all the work for you. A selection of shredders can be found
here on our website, but we sell more than we list. So if you don’t find exactly what you are looking for,
call or e-mail us.
