If you ever sat down and wondered who invented the paper shredder and why, then you are in luck. In this blog post, we will be sharing with you the brief history of paper shredding.

Paper shredding is a service that is being used worldwide in different sectors of the economy. From large conglomerates to small convenience stores and from government offices to private hospitals, all organizations, businesses, and even individuals use paper shredders to dispose of their sensitive and classified documents safely.

In 2018, it was found that the global paper shredder market size had reached a value of about USD 1.7 billion. By 2020, it has surpassed the USD 1.95 billion mark, and it is expected that by 2025 it will reach a market value of around USD 2.86 billion. With such steady growth projected in the coming years, it seems that the demand for secure paper shredding services is here to stay. And that makes it more than necessary to chart the history of paper shredding and learn where, when, and how it all began.

Brief History of Paper Shredding

In 1909, a man from Piercefield, New York, invented the paper shredder to effectively and efficiently dispose of paper. His name was Abbot Augustus Low. His paper shredder was patented on August 31, 1909, but unfortunately, he couldn’t live to see his machine being constructed and used for commercial purposes. He had referred to his invention as the “waste paper receptacle.”

Controversy Regarding the Origin

In 1935, a small workman by the name of Adolf Ehinger invented a “hand-crank pasta maker.” His small workshop was in Balingen, Germany. Long before World War 2, Ehinger, who was not a supporter of Nazi Germany, secretly started printing posters and pamphlets that propagated anti-Nazi propaganda. Because Hitler’s Germany was intolerant to dissent and Ehinger was scared for his life, he used his hand-crank pasta maker to shred his controversial pieces into illegible strips of paper. Thuse, he saved himself from getting caught as a creator of anti-Nazi propaganda material.

He later added an electric motor to his manual pasta maker cum paper shredder, and in 1936, his invention known as the aktenvernichter, or paper shredder, was officially patented at a trade show. Ehinger’s paper shredder became so popular that by the 1940s, the German government and army were using it as essential office equipment. Encouraged by the success of his invention, Ehinger continued to modify the design and features of the paper shredder, and in 1959, he launched the world’s first cross shredder that cut paper in both directions, horizontal and vertical, thereby further reducing the legibility of shredded strips.

Ongoing Success of Paper Shredders

Since the 1930s, paper shredders are being used by all sectors of the industry to destroy important documents and safeguard government or business secrets. The paper shredders have evolved into large industrial, heavy-duty shredders that can shred electronic devices and save people from data breaches. Today’s automated paper shredders are essential office equipment, and companies use these professional-looking paper shredders to safely destroy their past records and documents carrying sensitive information.

New Jersey Shredding Service

Professional, fast, secure, and environmentally-friendly paper shredding services like the New Jersey Shredding work with industries that produce paper waste in bulk, such as hospitals, universities, companies with a staff of over 500 employees, and even government offices. These institutions and entities need a reliable paper shredding service to safely destroy their old documents, such as tax filings, research notes, patient records, student records, and financial information, etc.

At New Jersey Shredding, we provide HIPPA compliant paper shredding service to our valued customers. Just give us a call at (201) 371-5900 to get your free quote today, and let us protect your personal and sensitive information from falling into the wrong hands.

New Jersey Shredding – Let Us Remind You What Great Service Looks Like!