Office grade units can usually be placed in a hallway or mail room. Due to the noise and size, heavy duty models are most often found in a warehouse. The three main considerations when buying a shredder are the types of materials you will be shredding, the volume of shredding the machine will be handling, and the security level your company needs to ensure privacy. Materials Most shredders are designed to handle paper, with the occasional paper clip or staple thrown in. There are also shredders that can handle crumpled paper through a hopper design.
Some shredders can handle more than just paper.
Objects like credit cards, videocassettes and computer diskettes can be munched by these specialty shredders. The volume of paper the shredder will be handling is a second major purchase consideration. Key characteristics to consider include the unit's paper capacity, or how much paper can be fed at once, as well as its shredding speed. In terms of security, most businesses find a basic strip-cut shredder adequate for meeting their security needs. However, for more confidential documents, cross cut shredders are preferred.