Finding the Best Shredder for Your Needs

For businesses and households everywhere, the disposal of confidential documentation is an essential everyday task. Whilst much of this type of confidential information is held online, many businesses and homes still have physical, paper-based personal data lying around. It leaves those businesses and individuals at risk of falling victim to identity theft through discarded physical documentation. We must all be vigilant when it comes to disposing of personal data and paperwork; this is where a home shredder or office shredder comes in.

There are several types of paper shredder to choose from, meaning finding the best shredder for your own needs can be tricky. To help you out, we’ve put together this shredder guide to help you discover the features that you’d find most useful for your confidential paper waste disposal and much more.

Confidential Paper Waste Disposal

The correct disposal of confidential paper waste is important for everyone. Any type of personal data loss could pose a risk to you. In this day and age, we’re often inclined to focus on online data safety and forget the risk that is still posed by incorrect disposal of personal information in its physical form. There is still a chance of identity theft as a result of thieves getting hold of your information from printed documents. As a result, it’s equally important to make sure these are kept safe both during and after use.

Shredding documents completely destroys them and makes it incredibly difficult, if not impossible, for anyone to read their contents. It makes purchasing the correct shredder a very important consideration.

What’s the Best Home Shredder for Me?

For many of us, when we receive a bank statement or utility bill or come to discard an old credit or debit card, simply ripping or cutting it in half then throwing it into the bin might seem like a secure enough way to dispose of it. However, with thieves on the lookout for whole details such as a full address, date of birth or even sort code and account number, these must be destroyed to guarantee safe disposal and help avoid identity theft.

When it comes to finding the best home shredder, there are various features that you’ll want to consider. These can include:

• Strip Shredding – Strip shredding is the type of shredding that you’d classically associate with a shredder. This means that all paper will be cut vertically into long strips.
• Credit Card – Having a credit card shredding function can come in very useful in a domestic setting. With this kind of shredding, you can ensure that every time you’re finished using a debit or credit it’s completely destroyed.
• Safety Lock – Keeping a shredder at home means that there’s a possibility of children and pets coming into contact with it. A safety lock feature means that the shredder can’t be accidentally activated.

What’s the Best Office Shredder for my Business?

For those working in business, the correct handling of sensitive data is more important than ever. The introduction of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe means that there are clear and strict guidelines in place for customer data. The Duty of Care legislation means that the management of confidential waste must involve safe and secure storage and destruction of waste.

Businesses are much more likely to handle larger quantities of confidential waste. Therefore, they need a shredder that can handle this quantity on a daily basis. Here are some features that will come in useful:

• Cross-cut Shredding – Just as this type of shredding is extra secure for domestic shredding purposes, it also adds an extra layer of security to a business.
• Large Bin Capacity – Due to the amount of paper that’s likely to be shredded regularly by a business, having a large bin capacity means less time spent constantly emptying. 17 litres upwards would be a good choice for an office.
• Sheet Capacity – Each shredder can shred a different number of sheets at the same time. For businesses, having a shredder that can do more in one go will help to increase efficiency.
• CD Shredding – As we move further into the digital age of cloud-based storage, having the facility to shred CDs containing sensitive information can be very useful.

No matter the document or the size of paper, having the ability to shred documents is important in any home or business. It’s more than just a shredder, it’s an investment in the protection of yours and your customer’s data. That’s why it’s important to find the best shredder for your needs, helping you and your home or business always remain safe.