How to Make an Umbrella Out of Paper

Finding a Paper Shredding Service Near You

Cutting up documents and papers can be a chore. That's where shredders can be invaluable. If you don't have a personal home shredder or have too many paper documents to eliminate, you may need to find a shredding service.

What Types of Documents Should You Shred?

Shredding documents can prevent identity theft. What documents or papers should you shred? Here's a thorough list, according to FightIdentityTheft.com:

Junk mail, pre-approved credit card applications or other mail offering credit

Bank statements, canceled and voided checks and ATM receipts

Credit card bills and receipts

Credit reports

Investment, stocks and property documents

Documents containing passwords, Social Security numbers and PIN numbers

Medical and dental records

Employee or other IDs

Legal documents and contracts

Driver's licenses and anything with a driver's license number

Utility bills

Anything related to taxes or tax forms, pay stubs and employment records

Anything with your signature

Resumes and report cards

Shredders can handle credit cards and CDs, as well. It may seem like every piece of paper needs to be shredded, but if you want to stay safe, it's worth taking the time.

Types of Shredders

Shredders have evolved over the years as identity theft has increased. The smaller the pieces, the more difficult they are to reconstruct, according to Angie's List. Here are several types of shredders:

Cross-cut shredders cut paper into tiny diamond shapes.
Particle-cut shredders create tiny confetti-style particles.
Grinder shredders have rotating blades that create dust-like particles that are small enough to go through a mesh screen.
Strip-cut shredders, the most common type, cut paper into strips and are considered the least secure.

Paper Shredding Events

Your community may hold a paper shredding event that you'll hear about in the local paper or local news. They're usually held at the town dump, community center, beach or another public area of town. Events may limit participants to a few boxes of documents to be shredded. You may be able to find free paper shredding locations or have to pay a nominal fee.

Though a public paper shredding services event sounds ideal, is it safe? Most likely it is safe because professional shredding trucks and machines are used and operated by professional shredding personnel, according to IdentityForce.com. In most cases, shredding is done on the spot so you can witness the destruction first hand.

Mobile Paper Shredding Services

Mobile paper shredding services let you watch your papers become destroyed so you have peace of mind. Typically, a shred truck is equipped with an industrial strength shredder, states ShredNations.com, a shredding service. Many offices and companies use mobile shredding, but it's also a service for personal use, as well.

Drop Off Shredding Locations

Most office supply or servicing stores offer shredding, such as Staples, Kinko's, FedEx and UPS stores. Call your local store to confirm services and prices, which tend to cost about $1 or more per pound of paper to shred, according to FightIdentityTheft.com.

Look for a data and records management company near you. These types of companies do large-scale shredding for businesses and possibly offer residential services. For example, Iron Mountain has a residential shredding service in various East Coast locations.

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