Shredding Options for Your Sarasota Business, Ranked From Least to Most Secure

Certainly, as machines, shredders may appear to be simple devices with only one job to do. That’s to rip stuff up. Yet, not every shredder does it the same way.

In fact, shredders use different cutting styles. Also, they handle various kinds and sizes of materials. Plus, they generate different amounts of post-shred product. What type of shredder is best for you? Actually, it depends on the service you need and the nature of the material you’re getting rid of.

However, without question, some shredding styles are better and more powerful than others. Here are the most common shredding options for Sarasota businesses. They’re ranked from least effective to most potent. 

Strip-Cut Shredding

“Strip-cut shredding” describes the action of your everyday, consumer-grade desktop shredder. Papers are cut into long, vertical strips which can be discarded.

In reality, strip-cut shredding is done with machines purchased at your local office supply store. Perhaps, it’s the most common and least expensive type of shredding you can do. Additionally, it may be suitable for minor, everyday documentation.

Consider extra-sensitive or confidential information. Actually, strip-cut shredding is the least effective method. That’s because the long strips can be pieced and taped back together. Thus, it makes a document readable again. 

Cross-Cut Shredding

Essentially, cross-cut shredders dismantle a document with two separate actions: horizontally and vertically. Thus, the result resembles a mound of confetti. In reality, this method generates about 10 times more pieces of paper than the strip-cut method.

However, enterprising individuals can reconstruct documents destroyed by cross-cut shredding. Though, it takes longer, there are a few who can and have done so. 

Micro-Cut Shredding

This is also known as “particle cut” shredding. Really, this method employs multiple, micro-sized blades. They break down every page into undecipherable, tiny particles. In fact, micro-cut shredders produce pieces that are impossible to put together.

Many micro-cut shredders can even handle electronic media. This includes CDs, DVDs, etc. They’re good for large companies. That’s because they generate a lot of confidential paperwork. However, consumer micro-cut shredders can be expensive. Therefore, they’re less cost-effective for smaller businesses. 

Pierce and Tear Shredding

The ultimate, most secure method is pierce-and-tear shredding. The machines used in this style have several knife-shaped items. Also, they have hooks around the edges. Consequently, these blades pierce items and pull them toward another mechanism which has even more blades.

They rotate and slash the contents by multiple degrees and angles. Really, nothing survives pierce-and-tear shredding. The blades can even handle stiffer materials. This includes cardboard or plastic. Additionally, industrial-sized pierce-and-tear shredding can cut through steel.

Obviously, this method can handle many documents in a flash. Yet, their high-capacity size means they’re mostly built for commercial shredding businesses and their mobile-service trucks. 

Shredding Options for The Sarasota Area

Partner with ShredQuick. We have the type and style of shredder service to suit your Sarasota business. This includes large amounts of documentation to thick books or equipment. Contact us to find out more.