Shredders

Introduction
While your company documents may not be a matter of national security, many firms use paper shredders to ensure that sensitive documents don't fall into the hands of their competitors.

Although dumpster diving may seem the stuff of a bad spy novel, what's noteworthy is that the courts have ruled that items found in the trash are in the public domain. This means that picking through trash, however unsavory, is legal.

This guide is designed to give you the facts you need to choose and evaluate a paper shredder for your business. The various sections are listed in the box above. You can choose to read this guide from beginning to end, or jump directly to a section of interest.

How Shredders Work
Paper shredders consist of a pair of rotating cutting blades, a paper comber, and a motor that drives this assembly. Paper is fed between the two intermeshing blades and is split into many small pieces by the force of the blades.

The produced shreds are held in one of a variety of containers. Low-end shredders are simply draped over the edge of or straddle an office wastebasket. Slightly more expensive ones come equipped with their own wastebasket. Most office grade shredders typically come with an enclosed cabinet with wheels to make it easier to roll about the office. Finally, there are some shredders that come with a stand that can hold a plastic bag.