Introduction

Frequently, people ask us if they can shred plastic. Shredding paper is the most secure and environmentally friendly way to destroy paper containing confidential information. However, what should you do when the paper contains plastic, such as laminated sheets?

Companies may add plastic elements to paper for various reasons, including marketing materials, extra protection, or printed content, such as photographs. Unfortunately, documents with plastic elements cannot be recycled with regular paper. As a result, most people end up trying to recycle them together, which can lead to significant impacts at recycling centres or just placing them in general waste. Criminals can easily find paper with plastic elements in general waste.

Should I Laminate Important Documents? 

Some people believe that laminating important documents, such as birth and marriage certificates, is a good idea. However, this is not always the case. While laminating documents might make them harder to crumple, rip, or damage, the process can also damage the document. In some cases, agencies view laminating or altering the document as damaging, which can affect its validity, resulting in having to order another document. Instead, it’s best to keep important documents in a safe, dry place. If they become damaged, crumpled, or lost, replace them as soon as possible. Never laminate bank or credit cards since the process can cause problems with the magnetic strip on the back or make it difficult to read the numbers on the front. Once laminated, the cards can no longer be used at money access machines.

People use shredders for various reasons, primarily to keep documents confidential. This is particularly important nowadays since many people work from home and need a way to handle their confidential business documents. Shredding papers for security reasons is becoming increasingly popular, with some people shredding the papers at home, while others hire companies to shred their documents for them. This is especially true for business owners. If you want to shred your highly sensitive documents yourself, it’s best to use a cross-cut or micro-shredder instead of a regular strip shredder since experts say these two types of shredders are more likely to shred your documents completely and safely.

Exactly What Is A Cross Shredder?

A cross shredder, also known as a confetti shredder, cuts documents into many small strips. The cross-cut refers to the way that the blades are set up in the shredder, crossing each other as they shred the paper.

Should I Use A Company Like Cross Cut Shredding? 

Shredding large amounts of paper can cause problems with your shredder over time, such as weakened or dulled blades, broken blades, or paper jams, even with the sturdiest shredder. For this reason, if you have many documents to shred or a home business, consider using our services. We also offer options to shred plastics in bulk with our Mixed Media bags. For more information, see our media shredding page.

If you have any questions about our services please get in touch and we will be happy to answer any questions you have.