Shredding Documents - Why Do It

Both at home and the office, shredding documents is an important step for minimizing the chance for identity theft. It is estimated that almost one in five Americans have been the victims of a stolen identity. Learn the importance of shredding documents and how to streamline your shredding process.

Dangers of Sensitive Documents

Unfortunately, a criminal only needs a few key pieces of information to effectively steal your identity. These pieces of info include your name and address, as well as social security number, bank account info or credit card info. Of course, this information is listed on a number of documents that get mailed to your home.

To acquire access to these documents, some criminals go "dumpster diving." This simply means they go digging through your trash to find sensitive data that they can use to steal your identity. While it may seem counter-intuitive, it is perfectly legal for strangers to dig through your trash. In fact, anything thrown in the garbage is automatically relinquished as private property. To eliminate the potential for such a disaster to occur, paper shredding is a fast and simple solution.

Options for Shredding Documents

For proper disposal of documents, it is recommended that every household own and make use of a personal shredder. For maximum safety, consider investing in a cross-cut shredder, which cuts paper in two directions to improve disposal. Beyond cut style, other key factors to consider when selecting a shredder include feed width, shredder speed and amount of pages that can be shredded at the same time. Ultimately, your volume of shredding needs as well as type of documents you are shredding will dictate which shredder is right for you.

For high-volume shredding needs, it may be beneficial to make use of a shredding service. Such services allow you to hand over all documents to a professional shredding company for quick and efficient disposal of large amounts of papers.

Paper Shredding Statistics

In a survey conducted by ABC Office in 2005, it was revealed that 78 percent of all respondents owned a paper shredder. Additionally, more than half of all respondents reported using their shredder on a daily basis. These statistics help reveal both the importance and prevalence of shredding documents.