# What do I look for in a shredder?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-look-for-in-a-shredder/573357>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [March 3, 2011, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-look-for-in-a-shredder/573357 "2011-03-03T15:18:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-look-for-in-a-shredder/573357/21 "2011-03-04T04:09:02Z")

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> [@Anaamika](#):
>
> What? Shred our stuff for us?

Yes. This is a service provided by many banks and credit unions to individual customers. They may extend this to you since your shredding needs are light and you are a not for profit organization.

No harm in asking.

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**Author:** ![Hennessy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hennessy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hennessy)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-look-for-in-a-shredder/573357/22 "2011-03-04T04:29:54Z")

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Whatever it is, be careful and don’t look to hard and definitely don’t reach in there if you can’t find anything. Allow the pros to dismantle it.

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**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-look-for-in-a-shredder/573357/23 "2011-03-04T13:31:11Z")

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In our area, we have a company that specializes in shredding. The will provide a locked container into which you deposit your material to be shredded, and they will either pick it up and shred it at their location, or, if your security requirements are particularly high, will come to your location and shred it onsite, while you watch.

Depending on the volume of your shredding and your security requirements, this might be a plausible solution.

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**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-look-for-in-a-shredder/573357/25 "2011-03-04T14:16:36Z")

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Ok, well, we have the Center for the Disabled that can shred the large boxes - they get kids that can’t read to do it. Isn’t it amazing? A niche for everyone.

So I just need to get one for the office. A Staples one, that does 15-20 sheets, I think (since we will only be doing 5-10 sheets at a time), cross-cut, with a bin that isn’t contingent on removing the shredder part to clean it out.

Thank you all for your help!

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**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-look-for-in-a-shredder/573357/26 "2011-03-04T17:30:15Z")

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> [@Anaamika](#):
>
> A Staples one, that does 15-20 sheets, I think (since we will only be doing 5-10 sheets at a time), cross-cut, with a bin that isn’t contingent on removing the shredder part to clean it out.

If it can shred CDs as well, we had one of them. Works really well as long as nobody jams it with too much plastic. :smack:

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