Survey Reveals Paper Shredder Trends

KAYSVILLE, Utah, March 2, 2005– On February 14th, ABC Office sent a paper shredder survey to its customers to inquire about paper shredder use, identity theft and shredder trends. As a result of the survey, ABC Office received over 200 responses. The results of the survey are very interesting, showing what people think about identity theft and the importance of paper shredders.

Identity theft is an ever-increasing problem in the United States. The ability to create alternate identities, sign up for credit cards and abuse individuals’ identities is easier than ever for criminals. Receipts, mail and personal information are just some of the methods used to steal one’s identity. Out of 211 respondents, 22 people had been the victim of identity theft. That is over 10 percent of those interviewed.

This coming June, a new law will go into effect that will require anyone who has one or more employees to destroy their personal information. It surprised us to see that only 13 percent of those surveyed were aware of this new regulation. “It is very apparent that more people need to be aware of this new law and the importance of shredding personal information,” said Calvin Barlow, President of ABC Office. “In this day and age, almost everyone should own a shredder.”

Not surprising, over 70 percent of those surveyed feel that it is definitely important to destroy personal information. Because dumpster diving is perfectly legal, anything thrown in the garbage is fair game. Seventy-eight percent of those interviewed own a paper shredder. Fifty-one percent say they use their shredder on a daily basis. Paper shredders help destroy sensitive information. When dumpster diving, criminals tend to go for the easy find. If paper is shredded, the difficulty of putting the pieces back together is enough of a deterrent to make shredding worthwhile.

Strip-cut shredders are still the preferred method of shredding, but cross-cut shredders are quickly growing in popularity. This is due, in part, to the fact that strip-cut shredders have been around longer. Forty-eight percent of those surveyed own a cross cut shredder. Strip cut shredders, especially over-the-can shredders, typically shred paper into ¼-inch strips. These strips, although hard to decipher, can still be reassembled. Cross-cut, or confetti-cut, shredders make it next to impossible to reassemble shredded documents.

ABC Office is trying to make its own customers aware of the importance of shredding personal information. “We would like to see all our customers’ personal and private information be destroyed. It would save them a lot of heartache and personal stress,” said Mr. Barlow.

ABC Office is continually trying to educate people about the importance of shredding paper through its monthly newsletters, surveys and paper shredder guides.
The entire ABC Office paper shredder survey can be viewed by going to this link: (http://www.abcoffice.com/newsletters/ask-feb-2005.htm). You can learn more about paper shredders, the different types and what they do by reading our paper shredder guide (http://www.abcoffice.com/shredder_guide.htm).

If you have any questions, please call toll-free (+1-800-658-8788) Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. MST. A knowledgeable customer service representative can then assist with answering questions regarding paper shredders. Orders may be placed securely by phone or through our secure online shopping cart.

For further information, please contact David Stuart, Marketing Supervisor of ABCOffice.com, +1-800-658-8788, dstuart@abcoffice.com.

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