How Does a Paper Shredder Work?

Individuals

Paper shredders are great because they turn paper into chad. This makes it impossible for thieves to steal their identity from information found on pieces of mail. It is recommended that individuals shred their credit card statements, bank statements, and any other piece of paper you own that contains personal information on it. You should do this with every type of document listed above before you throw it in the trash to be recycled. Individuals only need a small paper shredder that handles one piece of paper at a time. They slide the paper in and the electronic paper shredder feels it, pulls it in while cutting it in to small pieces. The owner then just takes the top off and empties the paper in to the recycling bin.

Businesses

It is important, legally, that businesses use paper shredders to maintain their customers privacy. More and more privacy acts are being instituted and businesses have an obligation to make sure their clients information is safe. Businesses can not use a small electronic paper shredder that an individual would use because it would take too much time to insert one piece of paper at a time. The business would need a larger model that could handle whole documents such as old insurance policies. Depending on how big the company is and how much shredding is done daily will determine how expensive of a machine the business needs to buy. The business can also consider hiring a shredding service.

Types

There are a few types of shredders an individual or business can choose from. A small hand cranked shredder works like a pasta machine. As you insert the paper with one hand you crank the handle to the left. The handle moves the blades around manually which cuts the paper as you insert it in with your hand. There are electric paper shredders which do the work for you. Some can only handle one paper at a time and others can handle whole documents. You can even request the services of a shredder truck. These box trucks have an industrial size shredder inside capable of 8,000 pounds of paper per hour. Of course, there is always the paper shredding service that will handle all of your paper shredding for you. All of the shredded paper is sent to a paper mill which turns your shredded documents back in to new paper. This is a great way to recycle and keep new trees from being cut down.