CD and DVD Shredders

Paper shredders for CDs, DVDs and credit cards

With more and more information being stored digitally, you might be interested in a shredder that can also munch CDs and DVDs. Some machines are specifically built for the task, while others are paper shredders that multi-task. Interestingly, not all of the single-purpose disc shredders actually cut up discs; rather, they destroy the data by marring the surface of the disc with rollers as it passes through the slot. The Norazza DD3001A CD and DVD Data Destroyer (est. $40) is one such machine. It is compact and claims to render up to 15 discs a minute unreadable. The few reviews available of the unit on Amazon.com are extremely positive.

Another compact CD shredder is the Alera Technologies DVD/CD Shredder. Previous shredders from Alera marred disks without actually shredding them, but the latest series of shredders actually cut the disks into small pieces or strips. On Amazon.com, these shredders receive only a handful of reviews, but they are positive. The Alera Technologies 240130 ( *Est. $100) has carbon steel blades that shred DVDs, CDs and credit cards into small pieces. Its basket capacity is just under one gallon. It also shreds paper -- up to five folded sheets at one time. The paper must be folded to fit through the narrow slot, however, which some users find tedious. A reviewer at Amazon.com finds that this machine can shred about 50 DVDs or CDs in two minutes. Several reviewers caution that it cannot shred floppy discs. The Alera Technologies 240133 DVD/CD Shredder Plus Strip Cut (*Est. $70) cuts items into strips. It is slightly smaller than the 24030 model. The capacity is reduced to three folded sheets of paper at one time. It can shred CDs, DVDs and credit cards.

We also saw good older reviews for the compact HSM Shredstar Multishred (*Est. $120). Good Housekeeping Institute engineers report they couldn't jam it even when they tried to. The Multishred is about the size of a toaster and is designed to shred eight sheets through its 5.2-inch mouth (that means you have to fold paper in half lengthwise). This unit is small, but its tiny shred size offers very good security. In addition to shredding paper, paper clips, staples, credit cards, CDs and DVDs, the Multishred can also shred floppy disks. It has an auto-stop feature when the one-gallon waste bin is full or if it jams. HSM offers a two-year warranty on the shredder with a 20-year warranty on the cutting roller.

The Fellowes Powershred PS-70 (*Est. $155) looks like other shredders, but it has a large seven-gallon basket, a higher duty cycle of up to 1,500 sheets per day and is rated for up to 14 sheets at a time. It's billed as a home office shredder, designed for medium duty use. In addition to paper, it also slices through staples, credit cards and CDs. It has a user-friendly safety interlock switch, an auto-stop/start feature, a reverse feature and a full bin indicator. The Fellowes paper shredder automatically shuts off when the unit jams, overheats or the bin isn't securely in place. In a video review from the Good Housekeeping Institute, engineers find that an earlier model of the PS-70 is "the most powerful shredder ever tested by the institute." This shredder cuts materials into strips, not confetti, which some experts believe is not enough for optimal security. The cross-cut Fellowes Powershred DS-1 (*Est. $110) has a lower duty cycle of about 220 pages per day, but it doubles as a credit card shredder and is both more secure and less expensive. For a little more money than the PS-70, you can get the Fellowes Powershred SB-97Cs (*Est. $180), which cross-cuts up to 1,700 pages a day as well as credit cards and CD's, and is far more secure than a strip-cut shredder like the PS-70.