Paper shredders are one of the essential tools to retain confidentiality. Cutting paper into unreadable strips or pieces, home paper shredders are extremely useful in the fight against identity theft.
DIN 32757 is the European standard for paper shredder security. There are 5 levels ranging from DIN1 (lowest security level) to DIN5 (highest security level), reflecting the importance and/or sensitivity of the material being shredded. Every manufacturer uses this standard to define the level of security afforded by each model in its range. DIN3 is the recommended minimum security level for disposing of highly personal documents. All the shredders below meet this criteria.
Shred size is dependent upon the shredding mode used: strip/ribbon cut or confetti/cross cut. The cross cut method produces pieces of paper which are at a higher security level than the strip cut mode. Another useful benefit of the more secure shredders using cross cut is that the smaller the shred size, the smaller the volume it packs down to, meaning you have to empty the bind less frequently.
Rexel ProStyle confetti cut shredder
- Can shred up to 11 sheets at a time
- 20L bin
- Also shreds staples, paper clips and credit cards
- c. £70
- Available to buy at Amazon.
Swordfish 1000XC cross cut shredder
- Can shred up to 10 sheets at a time
- 20L bin
- Also shreds credit cards
- Reverse function for clearing a jam
- c. £70
- Available to buy at Amazon.
Fellowes P-35c confetti cut shredder
- Can shred up to 5 sheets at a time
- 12L bin
- Auto start and reverse, auto stop on bin removal,
- Accepts staples and credit cards
- c. £30
- Available to buy at Amazon.
