What NOT to Put in Your Shred Bin: Avoid These Costly (and Sometimes Crazy) Mistakes

At Summit Shredding, we’ve seen it all when it comes to what people throw in their shred bins. While our industrial shredders are built for securely destroying sensitive documents, some things absolutely do NOT belong—and trust us, we’ve found some wild stuff!

Here’s a breakdown of what NOT to toss in your shred bin (including some real-life examples of what we’ve found 👀).

❌ 1. Non-Paper Items (Yes, Even Office Supplies!)

Our shredders are made for paper, but that hasn’t stopped people from testing their limits. Items we’ve actually found include:

🚫 Staplers – Your papers can have staples, but the whole stapler? Not so much.

🚫 Glue Sticks – Paper goes in, but please keep the arts and crafts supplies out.

🚫 Hammers – We’re still trying to figure this one out.

✅ What to Do Instead: Keep it to just paper! Remove documents from binders and plastic sleeves before shredding.

❌ 2. Electronics & Digital Media

We specialize in hard drive and media destruction, but they require a different process—so please don’t drop them in your shred bin! We’ve found:

🚫 Batteries – Not only are they non-shreddable, but they’re also a fire hazard!

🚫 CDs, USB Drives, and Hard Drives – These need proper destruction to protect your data.

✅ What to Do Instead: Ask us about our secure electronic destruction services for all your digital media.

❌ 3. Ammunition & Other “Surprises”

Believe it or not, we’ve actually found live ammunition in a shred bin before. That’s a hard no for obvious reasons! 🔥💥

🚫 Bullets & Shell Casings – Shredders, dry paper, and explosive materials don’t mix.

🚫 Anything Dangerous or Flammable – This includes lighters, aerosol cans, and other hazards.

✅ What to Do Instead: Properly dispose of hazardous materials according to local guidelines (and maybe keep them far, far away from your paperwork).

❌ 4. Wet Paper & Sticky Substances

Wet paper turns into a solid, concrete-like mess that can clog shredders. And anything sticky (like glue sticks or sticky notes in bulk) can gum up the machinery.

🚫 Water-Damaged or Damp Documents – These can jam the shredder and ruin recyclable paper.

🚫 Excessive Adhesives – A few Post-Its are fine, but entire stacks can be a problem.

✅ What to Do Instead: Keep paper dry and remove anything excessively sticky before shredding.

❌ 5. Household Junk & Trash

We know it’s tempting to toss random stuff in the shred bin, but some things just don’t belong. A few oddities we’ve found:

🚫 Plastic Bottles & Food Wrappers – We get it, you were in a rush, but our bins aren’t trash cans.

🚫 Clothing Items – We’re a shredding company, not a donation center.

🚫 Random Household Items – Hammers (again), tools, and even silverware. We don’t know how or why, but we’ve seen it.

✅ What to Do Instead: Double-check before tossing—if it’s not paper, it doesn’t belong!

Why Sorting Matters

By keeping non-paper items out of your shred bin, you help:

✅ Ensure safe and efficient shredding

✅ Prevent damage to our equipment (and potential fire hazards)

✅ Keep our team safe (seriously, no more bullets!)

✅ Ensure compliance with data destruction regulations

Got something unique to shred? Give us a call first—we’re happy to help ensure it’s done safely and securely!

📞 Call us today or visit our website to schedule your next shredding service.