There are different types of commercial shredding services available for businesses to choose from. The shredding services in USA are differentiated based on the different shredders used. Various shredding machines shred paper differently, thus resulting in variation in the size and shape of the paper shreds produced. If you are planning to hire a professional company offering to shred your confidential documents, you must first know about the types of shredding services and their features.
The type of commercial shredding service that you should opt for depends on the type of documents that you want to shred and the sensitivity of those documents. Different shredding services in USA make use of different shredders that produce different shredding cuts to help you achieve the best security during the process of document destruction.
When it comes to paper shredders, you have multiple options to choose from. The most important aspect to look out for is the different levels of security offered by the shredder.
Types of shredding services and their features based on different types of shredders.
Strip-cut shredding
- It is the most popular way of destroying documents.
- It is also known as “ribbon shredding” or “spaghetti-cut shredding.”
- In this type of shredding, the shredder has a single blade to cut the documents vertically.
- A strip-cut shredder shreds the documents into long, vertical, parallel strips.
- The shredder consists of several blades on a horizontal shaft.
- This type of shredding is simple and economical for homes and small offices.
- It is also one of the least secure methods of paper shredding, as the strip can be used for reconstruction and the original document can be easily restored.
- The efficiency, low price, and availability makes it an obvious choice for many businesses.
- If you want to shred sensitive papers and documents, strip-cut shredding is not advisable.
- The strips generated from strip-cut shredding may still contain visually visible and readable portions, such as the signature of a customer, personal information like an address or date of birth, or even photos.
- Strip-cut shredding can be used for non-confidential documents such as emails.
- However, it is not recommended to use it for shredding confidential documents.
Cross-cut shredding
- In this method, a cross-cut (confetti-cut) shredder is used to cut the documents diagonally from both directions.
- With cross-cut shredding, horizontal and vertical blades cut the paper into small pieces.
- Due to the use of cross-cut technology, this type of shredding is much more secure than strip-cut shredding.
- When using a cross-cut shredder, a single piece of A4-sized paper can be cut into around 900 pieces.
- It is impossible to piece back together the documents with so many small pieces.
- Also, the shredding waste generated due to cross-cut shredding is more compact and occupies less space.
- Cross-cut shredding is an ideal type of shredding for mid-sized businesses that value the security of their documents and are looking for something affordable.
Micro-cut shredding
- Also known as “particle-cut” shredding, this type of commercial shredding service cuts documents into tiny, miniscule particles with fine toothed blades.
- It is a highly reliable and secure form of shredding, much more so than cross-cut shredding.
- With micro-cut shredding, a single piece of A4-size paper can generate up to 1500 microscopic particles.
- Since it offers the highest level of security, micro-cut shredding is recommended for extremely confidential documents from government bodies, research institutes, or financial institutions.
- However, it is important to keep in mind that micro-cut shredding takes place at a slower speed compared to cross-cut or strip-cut shredding.
Crypto-cut shredding
- Out of all the commercial shredding types that you have come across or read about, crypto-cut shredding offers the ultimate security.
- This shredding makes use of a highly sophisticated machine.
- They are found in highly secure environments like military or government premises.
- Crypto-cut shredders are used to destroy extremely sensitive and confidential data.
- They shred data into dust-like particles.
- A single piece of paper can be shredded into nearly 3,000 dust-like particles.
- Not just paper, but a crypto-shredding machine can be used to destroy electronic items like hard drives, DVDs, CDs, etc.
Your business needs to destroy (dispose) sensitive documents and papers properly. When you choose to hire a professional company offering shredding services in USA, it is crucial to know what you are going to get, whether it fits into your requirements, and whether it gives you the level of security that you require for document destruction.
Now that you understand the types of shredding services and their features, you can make an informed decision about the type of shredding services you want to choose for your business. For more information about the different types of commercial shredding services and the machines used, get in touch with us today.
