5 Items That You Should NEVER Put Through Your Paper Shredder

Paper shredders are an essential part of an office space. They can be used to dispose of sensitive documents that you do not want to be leaked. This reduces the number of documents cluttering up valuable office space and also cuts down paper waste within an office.

Most commercial paper shredders are incredibly durable. However, if they are not used correctly, they can be damaged, and the price for repairs can be steep. To establish that you are using your office paper shredder correctly, there are several things that you should make sure are never put through your shredder.

In this article, we will list the 5 common office items that should never be put through your paper shredder, and also what can happen if they are.

Laminated Paper and Documents

One of the most common mistakes when it comes to paper shredders is undoubtedly trying to shred laminated documents. This is such an easy mistake to make when shredding large volumes of documents, but it can be extremely costly for your shredder.

The blades of paper shredders are designed to be able to handle thin sheets of paper and have difficulty with thick papers that have a layer of plastic laminate. This laminate can cause the blades to jam, and in some cases break completely. This can result in pricey repairs, and may even lead to replacing the whole machine.

Another reason why laminated documents can cause a lot of problems for paper shredders is the heat that they generate. The heat that the blades produce while shredding has the potential to melt the plastic laminate. This can cause catastrophic destruction to the shredder, and create fire risks.

Stapled Documents

Another very easy, yet lethal mistake that can often be made in an office setting is shredding documents with staples attached. Documents such as invoices, bank statements, budgeting sheets, financial agreements, and more usually feature staples.

Staples must always be removed from documents before being shredded due to the harm that they can cause to the shredder. Staples can often trigger shredder jams, or even more serious malfunctions that require expensive repairs.

In addition to this, the staples can also get caught within the electronic mechanisms of the shredder, which causes irreversible damage. You must ensure that all staples are removed before shredding paper. Another solution is to switch to an industrial shredder, which is constructed to handle more robust materials.

Hard Drives

We understand the importance of data destruction, and see that old hard drives full of sensitive data do not end up in the wrong hands. However, there are special machines and processes for disposing of these hard drives, and using a paper shredder is not one of them.

Most hard drive disks are full of various electronic and metal components. They are also developed to be sturdy and are made from enduring materials. The blades in a typical paper shredder are not designed to be able to handle these kinds of materials, and will not be very effective at destroying the drives.

The diverse electronic and metal components of the hard drives can cause considerable jams, and even wreck paper shredders. This can then lead to a lengthy maintenance job. Therefore, it is best to always avoid attempting to exterminate such hard drives with a paper shredder.

Cardboard or Packaging Materials

Another common misconception of paper shredders is that they can cope with cardboard and other packaging materials. However, most paper shredders cannot. In fact, cardboard can cause your paper shredder to have unnecessary problems.

As a material, cardboard is much thicker and denser than paper. This can result in a huge amount of problems for shredders whose blades have been designed for thin paper. The thickness of the cardboard can cause paper shredders to jam. This can therefore lead to overpriced maintenance or even irretrievable damage.

In addition to this, cardboard is also full of adhesives and other materials that can blunt and dirty the blades of the shredder. This can increase the risk of wear and tear and malfunctions in the future. If you do need shredders that can destroy such materials, there are plenty of commercial shredders suitable for cardboard.

Electrical Products

As you would expect, all electrical products are full of components that can be incredibly hazardous to a paper shredder. Not only do they ruin the blades and mechanisms of the shredder, but they can also be at risk of causing electrical fires.

Once again the blades of these paper shredders are not meant to be able to deal with the different materials and densities of any electrical products. The harsh materials used within electronics can cause considerable wreckage to shredder blades. This can include jammings, blunting, and cracking.

Furthermore, damage is not the only potential danger. Due to the electronic nature of these types of products, there is a significant fire hazard. It is also possible that the operator can get an injury.

High-Quality Office Shredders, Paper Shredders, Personal Shredders & Industrial Shredders from Whitaker Brothers

Here at Whitaker Brothers, we have a vast supply of high-quality shredders for all types of industries and organizations. If you are looking for a simple paper shredder, heavy-duty office shredder , personal shredder , or industrial shredder , we have you covered.

Or if you are unsure as to what shredder you need, get in contact with our highly experienced and friendly customer service team at (800) 243-9226 or fill out our contact us form.

We also have our in-house service center that can help you to arrange a repair, technician, or spare parts, so that you can keep your machines perfectly maintained. We also offer service contracts and preventative maintenance plans. If this is something you are interested in, then fill out our Service Contract Quote Request form today.