The History of Paper Shredders

1. THE HISTORY OF PAPER SHREDDERS

2. Paper shredders aren’t really a hot topic. They don’t receive as much attention as any other commercial equipment. But shredders have a fascinating history that led to the myriad innovations we see today.

3. The First Ever Patent The earliest known patent was filed in New York City in 1909. Abbot Augustus Low was the one to submit the patent but couldn’t see the device materializing during his lifetime. He died and could never see his patented device working. Fast forward to 1935, Adolf Ehinger made the first ever paper shredding machine to supposedly destroy his anti-Nazi propaganda, eliminating the chances of being questioned by any authority. Ehinger knew he needed a way to safeguard the information he was producing, hence, inspired by the pasta maker in his kitchen, the aktenvernichter (or paper shredder) was born. His device had a hand crank mechanism to cut the paper, and everything got pulled through, just like a pasta maker. He received a patent for his invention in 1936.

4. Massive Popularity Post WWII Following the Second World War, Adolf Ehinger replaced the hand crank with an electric motor to popularize the machine among financial institutions and governments. Threats of espionage amid the cold war brought his paper shredder to the limelight. In 1959, he even introduced the first ever cross-cut shredder for added security. His machines were primarily used by government authorities until the late 1980s.

5. The Iranian Hostage Crisis of 1979 The Iranian hostage crisis of 1979 was a prolific scandal that instigated a significant change in document destruction mechanics. A group of militarized Iranian college students seized the US embassy in Tehran and detained more than 50 American diplomats. The crisis lasted for 444 days.

6. The embassy staff did their best to destroy as much information as possible until the captors broke in, pieced everything back together, and sold a book- length compilation at a bookstall. This unfortunate event prompted many notable outcomes, one of which was better, more innovative ways to destroy sensitive information.

7. Evolution of the Paper Shredder After the 1990s, paper shredders evolved dramatically, which led to smaller cuttings, less legible shreds, and pieces that couldn’t be reassembled as easily. The process became more secure, high-speed, and widespread. Today, shredders continue to evolve, particle sizes are getting even smaller, and techniques are improving. It is also affordable for average customers to shred confidential information at home and office with DIY shredders.

8. The 1988 California v. Greenwood verdict indicated curbside garbage as public property. Thus, concerned over privacy issues, Americans resorted to better paper shredders. In addition, the development of FACTA and HIPAA legislations in the US helps combat identity theft to an altogether different level.

9. Start Protecting Your Data Today While the history of shredders dates back to the 1990s, the practice still holds immense importance. In fact, the need for shredding documents hasn’t been so crucial ever before. If you are someone who deals with a lot of sensitive information, make sure you partner with a dependable shredding company to destroy the data in compliance with the relevant laws and procedures. Remember, someone’s trash can be someone’s treasure, and cutting or tearing paper isn’t the solution. Your identity can be at stake. Hire someone competent and reliable to do the job thoroughly.