The Different Types of Paper and How They Can Be Shredded

Whether you’re an individual working at home or a business owner in an office, chances are you’ll use a variety of different types of paper. Different paper comes in a variety of weights, finishes, and stiffness. A single sheet of paper can be lightweight, flexible, and almost transparent, or it can be heavy, inflexible, and opaque. What all paper has in common is the fact it can be shredded for secure document destruction.

Paper shredding is the most effective way in which you can eliminate unwanted documents and ensure that the information contained on the paper is gone forever. It’s worth noting that certain types of paper need to undergo a specific type of shredding, but there’s nothing that prevents paper from being shredded under any circumstances. You can get peace of mind knowing that your documents are destroyed permanently and can never be recovered.

An Overview of the Different Types of Paper

Most of the paper you will use on a daily basis is office paper which is made from long, cellulosic fibers that are bleached and prepared for brightness, and are formulated to absorb ink. Office paper is also very durable, which means it resists tears and stays intact even after coming into contact with water. The very nature of office paper enables people to hold onto it for decades, resulting in large quantities of sensitive information lying around.

There are several additional kinds of paper that are found in offices and households. These types of papers have different appearances and weights as well as different uses. Some common types of paper include:

• Construction
• Manila
• Woven
• Newsprint
• Tracing
• Cotton
• Parchment

Can all of these different types of paper be shredded the same way?

The good news is that, yes, most kinds of paper can be shredded the same way. This leads to easy document destruction when working with a company to help you safely dispose of your sensitive information. The biggest difference with different types of paper when it comes to how you want to destroy your documents isn’t how to shred these papers but what service best suits your paper-shredding needs.

How can ProShred St. Louis help you shred your different kinds of paper?

PROSHRED® St. Louis is the only ISO 9001 certified secure shredding service in the US, and we are experts in shredding and destroying documents, no matter what kind of paper they are made from. PROSHRED® makes it easy to shred your paper by offering a number of different services such as scheduled shredding services to drop off shredding to help best suit your needs.

Scheduled Shredding Service

With no hidden fees or binding contracts, PROSHRED® St. Louis’s scheduled shredding service is a great option for businesses that frequently work with large numbers of confidential documents. Our scheduled shredding is a service in which we regularly come to your place of business to dispose of your confidential documents. 

This service begins with a security audit in which we learn more about your business and its needs, the number of employees you have, and an estimate of the number of documents you produce in order to determine the number of needed paper containers. Then, we will work to develop a destruction plan that works for your needs. Based on the number of employees you have and the number of documents you work with, we can schedule times to come to shred your documents for you on a daily, weekly, or monthly schedule for hassle-free document destruction, no matter what different types of paper you work with.

Drop-Off and Residential Shredding

Designed with our residential clients in mind, our drop-off and residential shredding services are perfect for individuals with sensitive information they’d like to safely destroy. Individuals can come to our Overland location to securely shred their documents. This service is great for those who only have a few documents that they would like to ensure are properly and easily shredded.

We also offer on-site shredding services for individuals that meet our minimum requirements for the number of documents that need to be shredded. This service is created for those who may be cleaning out a loved one’s house or who have a large number of documents in storage and need a hassle-free solution to shredding their papers. While most individuals do not qualify for our on-site residential shredding, it is worth looking into if you have a large number of documents you need to be destroyed.

One-Time Purge Shredding

Our one-time purge shredding service is designed for both businesses and individuals who have a one-time need to shred any kind of document. Our PROSHRED® St. Louis onsite shred trucks can come to you wherever your home or business is located. With no hidden fees, our one-time purge shredding is easy, fast, affordable, and perfect for documents of any paper type.

No matter the different types of paper you are working with, PROSHRED® St. Louis has a perfect service to help you with your document destruction. Whether you’re using office paper, newsprint, or woven paper, you can be sure that your information will remain safe when destroyed with our state-of-the-art shredders. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you keep your information safe.