The Brief History of Paper Shredding

Do you know the history of shredding? Well if not, here is a quick run down on how it all started.

The very first shredder was invented in Piercefiled, New York by inventor Abbot Augusts Lowe in 1909. His invention consisted of a “waste paper receptacle” that was created to improve the way paper was disposed of. He filed a patent for it, but his product was never actually manufactured.

Move forward to 1935, Adolf Ehinger manufactured a “hand-crank pasta maker” in Germany. Where he used it to shred documents during World War II. He later converted the hand-crank to an electric motor and marketed it as a paper shredder to government agencies and financial institutions. In 1959 his company also manufactured the first cross-cut paper shredder and continues to do so under the company name EBA Krug & Priester GmbH & Co.

It was rare for individuals or smaller companies to use paper shredders until the mid-1980s. Shredders were generally still only used by government agencies and financial institutions until this time. After the California vs. Greenwood Supreme Court ruling in 1988, that states the Fourth Amendment does not prohibit the warrantless search and seizure of garbage left for collection outside of the home, shredders started becoming more popular among concerned patrons and companies alike. Privacy concerns were high and identity theft cases continue to rise.

And with that historical summary, make sure to shred important documents. Mobile Record Shredders is here to help. Find out more on our services page  or contact us today.