Choosing a Shredder for a 20-Person Office

A shredder that 20 people share is a different machine from a desk-side unit. The deciding specs are duty cycle, bin size and security level, not just sheets per pass. This guide shows how to size one from your own volume, using the sourced specs in our catalog.

The short version: count what your office actually shreds in a typical week, choose the security level your records need, then shortlist models whose duty cycle and bin fit that volume without stopping. Open the Small Office preset or the Continuous Duty preset.

1. Measure your volume before you look at models

No standard says how much paper a person shreds, and the right machine depends on your records, not your headcount. For one or two weeks, have people drop paper for shredding into a box, then count or weigh it. Divide by the days to get a daily figure, and note your busiest days (month-end, file purges). Size for the busy day.

2. Pick the security level your records need

Security levels come from DIN 66399 (now carried forward internationally as ISO/IEC 21964), which rates paper particles from P-1 to P-7.^[1] For an office handling personal or client information, P-4 is a common baseline; legal, HR or regulated records often call for P-5. See P-5 vs P-7 and security levels explained. Check any rule that applies to your industry: it decides the level, not the shredder.

3. Duty cycle matters more than sheets per pass

The duty cycle is how long a shredder may run before it needs a cool-down break. In our catalog of 176 paper shredders, 107 list continuous duty, and 20 list a run/cool cycle in minutes. A machine with a short run time can stall a shared queue even if each pass takes many sheets. For a shared machine, shortlist continuous-duty models first.

4. Bin size sets how often someone empties it

A small bin fills quickly with micro-cut particles. Bin capacity is stated for 131 of our shredders; 60 have 30 gallons or more. Larger bins mean fewer bag changes but a bigger footprint, so measure the floor space first.

5. Decide on auto-feed

Auto-feed models take a stack and shred it unattended, which saves staff time when people bring large piles. 13 of our shredders list auto-feed. Manual-feed machines need someone to feed each pass.

6. Plan for oil and bags

Cross-cut and micro-cut cutters need regular oiling. Fellowes says it is good practice to oil a cross-cut shredder each time the bin is emptied, and high-security shredders every 15 minutes or when capacity drops; it warns against aerosol or petroleum-based lubricants.^[2] MBM likewise says to oil after each bag change and notes strip-cut shredders don't need oiling.^[3] Each model page lists the bags and oil the maker names, where documented.

Models to start with

Office or commercial models rated P-4 or higher with continuous duty, taking each maker in turn so no brand fills the list (a filter, not a ranking):

See all Small Office matches · High Volume preset · Shredder buying guide · Shredder running costs

Sources

Catalog figures on this page are counted live from the sourced spec sheets in our paper shredders catalog (176 models), so they match the category page. We don't test machines or publish prices, and model lists here take each maker in turn, alphabetically within a maker; they are filters, not rankings.