Everything You Need to Shred in Your Home Office Now (and How to Do It)

Photo by Wesley Tingey on Unsplash

In 2018, a Consumer Action survey found that people prefer paper billing statements to electronic ones. Despite our country’s penchant for paper, most hard copy statements and receipts were not intended to be kept forever. While a CVS receipt may resemble the Magna Carta in length, its contents aren’t nearly as precious or profound. Excessive documents can contribute to household clutter and sloppy recordkeeping. Even tax returns (arguably the holiest of personal documents) can be discarded after 7 years, according to the Internal Revenue Service.

But you can’t just toss these papers out with the trash. Some contain sensitive information that, in the wrong hands, could leave you vulnerable to fraud or identity theft. Shredding your documents regularly will help keep your files organized and your personal information secure.

What to Shred

The Washington State Attorney General’s Office recommends shredding papers containing any of the following information:

• Account Numbers
• Birth Dates
• Passwords and/or PINs
• Signatures
• Social Security Numbers
• Names and Contact Information (E-mail and Postal Addresses, Phone Numbers)

When to Shred

According to the Federal Trade Commission, the majority of paper can be shredded immediately or after 1 year:

Immediately

• Cancelled checks (non-tax-related)
• Credit card applications
• Expired warranties
• Paid billing statements (credit card and utility)
• Receipts (ATM and sales)

After 1 Year

• Bank statements (upon receipt of your W-2 form)
• Paid medical bills (undisputed)
• Pay stubs

After 7 Years

• Tax-related documents (W-2 forms, cancelled checks, receipts, deduction-related documentation)

How to Shred

Shredding may be as easy as going to the office. With many companies outsourcing shredding to outside businesses, some allow employees to include their personal documents along with office files. If the idea of mixing work and home even on a paper level makes you cringe, you can bring your items to UPS Stores nationwide to be securely shredded for a small fee (priced per pound). Some local municipalities also hold shredding collection drives throughout the year. In New York City, more than 640 tons of paper has been shredded through its annual Shred Fest (not to be confused with the skateboarding celebration or CrossFit competition).

If you prefer not to carry sensitive documents around, you may want to consider a personal shredder for your home.

Photo by Sigmund on Unsplash

What to Look for in a Personal Shredder

Security Level and Blade Type

You might harbor fears that shredding your files will make you susceptible to the Penguin scenario from Batman Returns (when he reassembles classified documents using “a lot of tape and a little patience”). Thankfully, paper shredders have come a long way.

As a rule of thumb, the smaller the pieces a shredder produces, the more protection it provides. According to Recycling.com, shredders are categorized by security level based on the German DIN standard (DIN stands for Deutsches Institut für Normung, or German Institute for Standardization.) Shredded paper classifications range from P-1 (long shredded strips like The Penguin taped together) to P-7, which resembles confetti. Pro-tip: Do not use shredded tax returns as confetti.

For highly confidential documents, manufacturer Fellowes recommends shredders with Cross-cut (P-3 or P-4) or Micro-cut (P-5 or P-6) blades. For reference, a P-3 shredder would produce approximately 300 individual pieces from a single sheet of letter-sized (8½” x 11”) paper while a P-6 shredder would produce over 6,000.

Output

Do you live alone? Do you run your own business? Do you handle your parents’ personal affairs? Are you decluttering for the very first time? The optimal size and power of your shredder will depend on how much paper you have to shred on a regular basis. Just like you don’t need a Ferrari to make trips to the local Target (though that would be nice), an industrial strength shredder is probably overkill for most households. Personal shredders are conveniently sized for small spaces and usually cost between $50–200. Prices may vary depending on the following:

• Bin capacity
• Security level
• Shredding capacity (typically ranging from 6–16 sheets at a time)
• Whether or not the shredder can process staples or paper clips
• How long it will run continuously before powering off (to prevent overheating)

Extras to Consider

Shredding is not just for paper! On some machines, you can shred credit cards or CDs/DVDs with ease. If your excitement to shred causes you to rush, a reverse button can prevent your machine from jamming. Some shredders include an auto-feed tray, which allows you to conveniently shred multiple batches of documents without standing over the machine the entire time (though, for safety reasons, you should never leave a shredder running unattended.) If you have little ones of the 2- or 4-legged variety, you can even purchase a shredder with a sensor which stops the blade automatically when someone (or something) gets too close to the paper slot.

Shredder Maintenance

A paper shredder is not a set-it-and-forget-it appliance. Continuous shredding takes a toll on the blades which, if left untreated, can compromise the quality of your shredder. Fellowes recommends that you lubricate your shredder every 2 months or, if used frequently, whenever you empty a full bin. When purchasing your shredder, add a bottle of shredder oil to your cart (WD-40 won’t do.)

To lubricate your shredder:

1. Press and hold the reverse button (if available),
2. Squeezing the nozzle gently, apply the oil in 2 swift back-and-forth swipes across the blades. Since they are running in reverse, there’s no need to worry about the shredder blades, well, shredding.
3. Run the shredder on reverse for 10 additional seconds before shredding a test piece of paper

If your shredder does not have a reverse button, or you want even less mess, you can purchase shredder lubricant sheets which contain the oil inside and can be shredded just like plain paper.

To extend the life of your shredder, only shred the sensitive material itself. If you receive a multi-page piece of junk mail, you only need to shred the portion that contains your personal information. You can dispose of the rest.

Disposal

Your first instinct may be to recycle shredded paper. However, depending on the size of the pieces, some paper may be too small to process with traditional recycling equipment. Check with your local sanitation department for their policy on recycling shredded paper (for instance, New York City allows it.) If recycling is not an option, white, non-glossy paper shreds can be used as carbon for compost, according to Sierra Club. Otherwise, distribute your shreds into separate garbage bags for secure disposal on trash day. Because, even though the pieces are small, you never know who may have “a lot of tape and a little patience.”