A cardboard shredder is a machine for destroying large amounts of paper and cardboard, this is done to erase sensitive information a business may have documented that is no longer needed.
For recycling cardboard, most offices and retail businesses have moved away from paper shredding services to using an industrial cardboard shredder instead. When dealing with customer data like credit card information, personal protection laws like GDPR come into effect which businesses need to protect. Or for companies that receive large quantities of cardboard boxes, a cardboard box shredder makes the process much quicker and keeps a company safe from privacy protection issues.
How do you shred cardboard for packaging?
First flatten the cardboard down and cut into strips with a box cutter if necessary to fit within a cardboard shredder. Depending on the type of industrial cardboard shredder you have, the process can be time consuming. Companies should invest in a high performance, high-capacity shredder to reduce the process.
To be more eco friendly, many companies have switched from bubble wrap to using shredded waste cardboard for their void fill material.
What kind of shredder do I need for cardboard?
Shredding cardboard requires a heavy-duty industrial cardboard shredder. Depending on the make and model you have, some may only be able to handle 12 thin sheets of cardboard, while others can churn through corrugated cardboard. A personal use paper shredder will not be able to work with cardboard.
Industrial made cardboard shredders are most often found in offices that deal with sensitive information and delivery areas for companies. While a paper shredder is handy for personal use or if you only plan to shred a few documents every month, a cardboard shredder is much more powerful. Top of the line cardboard shredders can shred through 120 sheets of paper at a time, while a traditional paper shredder can handle 3 at most without a jam.
There are some criteria you may want to investigate before purchasing a cardboard shredding machine:
- Noise
- Capacity
- Performance
- Space
- Use
Paper shredders can be loud from the moving gears and parts, a cardboard shredder fit for industrial use will not be suitable in an office, even if in a stationary room.
Depending on the amount of paper and cardboard you need to dispose of, cardboard shredders can become expensive if you need a large capacity. Some of the smaller shredders can handle 20 sheets of paper at a time, while a factory-ready heavy duty cardboard shredder will be able to handle over 100 sheets of paper and cardboard boxes.
Some cardboard shredders may use plastic parts over a more robust industrial cardboard shredder. While they may be cheaper, you will not get a consistent performance from plastic made parts. Metal shredders will be able to deal with much larger workloads without slowing down.
A cardboard shredder can be a heavy piece of machinery. While some are made to be portable on wheels, other larger models are made to be purposely installed into a room or space and not moved.
If you are only shredding documents and paper, it would be better to opt for a smaller portable cardboard shredder that can be stored away. However if your business requires consistent use of more than just paper like CDs, credit cards and cardboard – then a robust metal cardboard shredder is the choice.
The last point to look out for is if the cardboard shredder you are buying is only able to handle cardboard boxes, or if it is designed for corrugated cardboard too.
Corrugated cardboard can jam up smaller cardboard shredders, even the high quality ones, so if you only need to scrap boxes, paper and plastic, you can opt for a lower cost machine. There are some machines that shred the paper and cardboard into reusable packaging material too, making it useful for recycling the waste yourself.
