Shredders for Data Destruction: A Guide to Shredder Types

There are various types of shredders to choose from, with different sizes, mechanisms, and load capacities. Whether you’re looking for a paper shredder, or a shredder that destroys denser material, like cardboard, CDs, hard drives, or even currency, the most important factor to consider is the shredder’s security levels.

Shredding is a tried-and-tested form of data destruction ; depending on the type of paper shredder you opt for, you can turn documents into the equivalent of sandpaper. This means they can never be reassembled and read.

Cut Types

Strip-Cut Shredders

Ideal for home, or everyday use, these shredders cut documents into strips, providing basic data destruction.

Cross Cut Shredders

These types of shredders go one step further than strip-cut shredders; cutting documents in two directions to make them more difficult to reassemble and read once shredded. These are ideal for both home and office use, where information such as financial reports, bank details, or personal client details are being stored.

Micro-Cut Shredders

Micro-cut shredders are a form of high security shredders that work like cross-cut shredders, but have an enhanced cutting thread. The paper is shredded more thoroughly into smaller pieces, making documents extremely difficult to reassemble. These cutting mechanisms are ideal for corporate environments where documents are very confidential or sensitive.

Industrial Shredders

These kinds of paper shredders reduce documents to a dust-like substance, making them impossible to reassemble. These are often found in environments where there is highly sensitive data that needs to be destroyed, such as government or federal institutions.

Security Measures

Shredders can be categorized by their level of security. All of our different types of shredders are categorized from P-1 through P-7. The categories dictate the number of pieces the material being shredded is cut into, and therefore the level of security it brings with it, with the higher numbers being the hardest to assemble after shredding.

See below for more information.

Levels P-1 through P-3 are best for home use, or for destroying general, day-to-day documents that do not contain confidential, sensitive, or financial information.

P-3 through P-4 will shred documents in a way that makes them extremely difficult to reassemble and read.

Levels P-5, P-6, and P-7 are mostly used for high corporate, governmental, or federal levels, where documents are highly confidential and classified. These shredded documents are virtually impossible to reassemble.

Key Considerations when Choosing the Best Shredder

There are many things to consider when looking to buy a shredder, whether it’s for a home setup, office, organizational, or large-scale industrial use.

Whitaker Brothers has one of the widest ranges of shredders for data destruction in the United States. Our selection includes industrial shredders, high security shredders, and shredders designed to destroy cardboard, SSD drives, CDs/DVDs, and more.

Several of our clients include government organizations, and other companies that have highly-confidential information.

Our shredders are graded on several factors, such as security levels, size, page capacity, slot size, and more.

To find the best shredder for your needs, it is important to consider the following factors.

Bin size and style

Shredders’ bin size is measured in gallons. Depending on how much shredding you plan to do, there are various-sized shredder bins.

If you plan to shred large quantities of paper on a daily basis, opt for a shredder with a bigger bin size.

Depending on how sensitive or confidential your documents are, shredder bins are built to be secure. If you are shredding data for government purposes, or other highly confidential business or financial documents, you can buy shredders that have highly secure bins, such as high security shredders .

Page load capacity

Different types of shredders are designed to shred various numbers of documents at the same time. The "maximum page load capacity" refers to the maximum number of pages you can shred at once. Depending on your shredding needs, this will vary. For instance, a small office might only need a maximum load of 10 pages, while a bigger office might need a load of 50 or more pages.

Industrial shredders are designed to destroy even more pages at once, and some of our shredders are able to destroy binding, cardboard, and metal. Combination industrial shredders, like our collection of shredders for CDs, DVDs, and paper , are ideal for office environments that store and process different forms of data. Having a multi-functional shredder like this will help make data destruction not only more effective, but also more efficient for staff members.

Slot size

The slot size determines how many pieces of paper you can fit into the slot at once. Depending on your needs, you can opt for a narrower or wider slot, to shred different numbers of sheets, CDs/DVDs, or other materials at the same time.

Data destruction needs

Different shredders are built to destroy different materials. For instance, some can only destroy paper, while others are built to destroy cardboard, CDs, hard drives, and SSD drives.

Equally, the slot size dictates the maximum width of the material you can shred, so your data destruction needs will also determine what shredder to buy.

Mobility

Some shredders are built to be more mobile than others, and have pulling devices and wheels. A more mobile option could be good for you if your shredder will be the only shredder in a big office. Some shredders are more compact and light-weight, which means they can easily be transported. These are great for those who travel frequently and need to destroy data often.

Our High Security Shredders

Our level P-6 and P-7 high security paper shredders turn paper into minuscule particles that can never be reassembled. Our collection of government-grade paper shredders are designed to completely eliminate the risk of data theft or breaches. The well-designed cutting mechanisms on all of our high security shredders have undergone rigorous NSA evaluation, and are categorized as the highest level of security.

For those looking for the highest grade of security, and who also want to destroy large amounts of paper at once, the Datastroyer 007SF is ideal. With the capacity to destroy 20 sheets of paper at once, and a unique key lock security feature, this shredder is perfectly suited for shredding highly confidential and sensitive documents.

If you are looking for something more compact, then the Datastroyer DS-4 High Security Tabletop Paper Shredder could be a great option. Designed to sit on your desk, this top security shredder has a sheet capacity of 7 sheets, and cuts paper into a dust-like material. This type of shredder features an electronically controlled lock feature, and has an additional "sleep mode" feature, allowing it to go to sleep after one hour of inactivity. This makes it a great option for those looking to cut energy costs.

Our Office Shredders

Whether your business is big or small, security is likely to be a top priority. Whether you’re destroying internal or external data, it is important that you can rely on your shredder to do the job properly.

All of our office shredders are highly secure and functional. Whether you are looking to shred large quantities of documents in one session, or you need a budget-friendly office shredder, we can help.

Our highest rated shredder for offices is the MBM Destroyit 4002 . This product features a cross-cut mechanism, and has a sheet capacity of 24-26 sheets.

Our Personal and Home Shredders

Small shredders are perfect for personal and home use. Depending on the levels of security or confidentiality of the documents you are destroying, you can opt for models with either strip or cross cutting mechanisms, which will adequately tear documents.

If you need a high security home shredder, opt for a shredder which has a micro or nano cutting system. There are many varieties of these available, including compact shredders with wheels, desk shredders, and packable shredders. These are small and easily-transportable, and do not sacrifice security.

The key factor to take into account when buying a home shredder is the amount of paper you’ll be getting rid of on average per day. The smaller the bin size, the more frequently you will need to empty it. Keep this in mind when choosing your shredder.

Compact Home Shredders

Compact shredders are ideal for personal or family use. They are small, and don’t take up too much space, and they can easily be packed away, or kept in small rooms or home offices. These shredders will destroy around 50 sheets of paper before you need to empty them. The best compact shredder is one you can store away when not in use; for a budget-friendly option, opt for the Intimus Pro 32 Cross Cut Paper Shredder . This type of shredder is Level 3/P-4 security, and make shredded documents very difficult to reassemble. This product is small and compact, but still has a large sheet capacity of 12 sheets.

The only disadvantage of compact shredders is their removable lid, which means the process of emptying can get a little messy. However, there are many methods you can use to assist with this process, and minimize the shredding mess.

Desk Shredders

Desk shredders usually have bigger bin sizes, which have space for the equivalent of about 100 pieces of paper. They can also shred more sheets at once, often about 10 a session. These models have a door to empty shreddings, instead of a lid, which means they can be easier to empty. They sit nicely on top of desks, making them ideal for home offices, or smaller rooms, and areas where there is less floor space.

In need of a high security personal shredder? Our 220V-50Hz Datastroyer 302 SF High Security Paper Shredder is rated Level 6/P-7, meaning it is highly secure, while being small and compact enough to use at home or in small office spaces.

Industrial Shredders

Heavy duty industrial shredders are ideal for anyone that needs to destroy data in bulk. This might include large quantities of paper, cardboard documents, whole files, or other forms of media, like CDs, DVDs, Blu-Ray disks, hard drives, memory sticks, or SSD cards.

Industrial shredders are used in very large offices, warehouses, and government buildings, where large amounts of data is destroyed on a daily basis.

Most types of industrial shredders will destroy anything from 100kg to 2100kg every hour. Many of our industrial shredding machines can also be set up with conveyor systems for automatic loading.

These kinds of shredders are often the top-end of high security shredders; they will turn most materials into the equivalent of dust, which means data is destroyed securely and effectively.

Paper Shredder Safety Tips

There are a few safety tips to keep in mind when shredding paper.

1. Use a paper shredder that is in good working condition.

Shredder maintenance is very important. Make sure your shredder is oiled, turned off periodically, and cleaned of debris regularly to maintain its good working condition.

2. Do not overfill the paper shredder.

Pay attention to the slot size and maximum capacity of the shredder. Do not overfill the slot past the max capacity, and remember to empty the bin out regularly so that it does not become too full.

3. Be careful when handling the shredded paper.

Be careful when emptying trays and bins. Shredded paper pieces can be sharp, and particles can cause issues in the lungs if they are inhaled. Be aware of this, and wear gloves/a mask when you are handling shredded paper.

4. Keep hands, clothes, and hair away from shredding blades.

The blades used in shredders are very sharp, so it is important to be aware of this whenever you are using a shredder, or training another person to use it.

Always be aware of loose clothes and hair, and make sure they are nowhere near the mouth of the shredder when putting materials in it.

5. Keep the paper shredder clean and free of debris.

Clean out your paper shredder frequently. Check the cutting mechanism, slot, and bin for debris, and make sure this is cleaned off.

6. Turn off the shredder when not in use.

Make sure you turn off your shredder when it isn’t in use; this will help to prevent it from overheating, which can be a potential fire hazard.

Alternatively, opt for a shredder that has an inactivity-based sleep-mode. These types of shredders will turn off when they aren’t used after a specific period of time (for example, an hour).

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