Why Not To Use An Office Shredder

So you know you need to get on with the document shredding, and you’ve searched for various document shredding service providers. Despite the best advice of the various shredding service providers you’ve made the decision to go it alone. Wherever you get it from, your fancy new office shredder strikes an impressive sight sitting up in its place of distinction.

You’ve reasoned that this is ultimately going to be cheaper for you then working with a full on shredding company. Since the shredder does the same thing as a whole shredding company, why would you ever not just do everything in house? What if we were to tell you that doing so would be putting yourself at risk?

There are certain issues that arise when using one of these office machines. One has to do with the shred pattern of the actual shredder. Another issue involves just how long these machines last. All of these add up to some serious security issues that you need to consider when using one of these machines.

Pointing Out The Issues

The Shredding Pattern

The shred pattern your shredder uses is very important for the security of your private information. There are a number of different shred patterns available depending on what machine you get, and some of them are not worth the material they are made from. The most basic is the strip-cut, which simply shreds the papers into long thin strips. These strips can be easily put back together with a little time and effort. Clearly this isn’t very secure for your private information.

Now let’s say you’ve got a budget so you are willing to invest in something more expensive, with a more secure shred pattern. The highest security shred turns the papers into a fine confetti, making them impossible to reconstruct. This is exactly the highest level of security promised by a professional shredding service provider. Now that seems appealing, professional service right in house, the problem is the longevity of the machines.

Shred Machine Longevity

Most of the office shredders, especially those towards the low end of the price list, won’t be able to handle a long life of shredding documents. If you’re only planning on shredding once in a while, perhaps you could get away with using an officer shredder with a good shred pattern. If you’re cheaping out, or shredding in large quantities often, your machine is going to burn itself out soon enough. They simply can’t handle the volume like a professional shredder can, and that leaves you with a very expensive paper weight.

The cost of replacing the machines adds up pretty quickly when you need to replace them. The cost of professional service remains constant and can handle any sized job you can throw at it. Between unsecure shred patterns, short life spans, and claiming costs, office shredders really should be avoided. Your best bet is going with the professional service.