The 1-5mm Shred Size Myth: What You Need to Know

Some shredding providers make bold claims about their destruction capabilities—but are they actually telling the truth? If you’ve ever shopped around for shredding services in Pittsburgh, you’ve probably heard companies boast about achieving “1mm x 5mm” particle sizes with their mobile trucks. Here’s the reality: this claim is misleading at best, and completely false at worst.

Understanding shred size matters for compliance and security, but separating fact from fiction is crucial when choosing a document destruction partner. The often-touted “1 x 5mm” shred size simply doesn’t exist in mobile shredding operations. Here’s what Pittsburgh businesses really need to know about secure document destruction.

The Origin of the 1 x 5mm Shred Standard

The 1mm x 5mm particle size comes from highly specialized standards like DIN 66399 and NSA/CSS specifications. These guidelines were developed for destroying top-secret materials using stationary disintegration equipment, not the mobile shredding trucks that visit your office.

This standard requires sophisticated, building-sized machinery found only in specialized government facilities. It’s commonly misunderstood or deliberately misrepresented by companies trying to impress potential clients with technical-sounding specifications.

Why 1 x 5mm Isn’t Possible in Mobile Shredding

Mobile shredding equipment faces significant technical limitations that make achieving 1 x 5mm particles impossible in a single pass. The physics simply don’t work—truck-mounted shredders can’t generate the force and precision required for such fine particle sizes while maintaining the speed necessary for efficient operations.

Federal guidance acknowledges this reality. According to official standards: “Organizations that cannot shred or disintegrate paper-based CUI in a manner that meets the single-step standards may use a multi-step destruction process where they shred to a lesser standard, followed by additional destruction processes.” ~DCSA guidance

This multi-step approach is exactly how legitimate business shredding services achieve true security without making impossible claims.

How Allegheny Records Achieves Secure Shredding the Right Way

At Allegheny Records, we believe in transparency over marketing gimmicks. Our multi-step destruction process provides superior security through proven methods:

1. On-site Shredding Phase: Our mobile trucks perform crosscut shredding with particles ranging from 1/8″ x 1/8″ to 5/8″ x 2.5″. This initial destruction makes documents immediately unreadable while maintaining operational efficiency.
2. Secure Transportation: Destroyed particles are secured in tamper-proof truck compartments and transported exclusively to our own processing facility—not the public, third-party operations used by many competitors.
3. Final Processing: At our facility, materials undergo hydro-pulping recycling procedures that reduce particles to slurry (less than 1mm size). This paste is then de-inked, bleached, and converted into new recycled paper products.

Our NAID AAA Certification and complete chain of custody control ensure security from pickup through final recycling—something impossible with unrealistic single-step claims.

Why Chain of Custody Matters More Than Shred Size Alone

True document security comes from process, personnel, and equipment working together—not just particle size. A document shredded to 1 x 5mm particles loses all security value if handled by untrained personnel or processed at unsecured facilities.

Allegheny’s approach emphasizes comprehensive security. Our uniformed officers are bonded, insured, and subject to background checks and drug testing. Unlike competitors who outsource to open-air processing facilities accessible to the public, we maintain complete control over your sensitive materials throughout the entire destruction process.

This integrated approach provides better actual security than any particle size specification alone.

What Pittsburgh Customers Should Ask Their Shredding Provider

When evaluating document storage and destruction providers, ask these key questions:

• Is your claimed shred size backed by a legitimate multi-step process?
• Do you own and operate your processing facility, or do you outsource to third parties?
• Are your drivers bonded, insured, and subject to background checks?
• Can you provide NAID AAA Certification documentation?

Companies making unrealistic single-step claims often can’t provide satisfactory answers to these fundamental security questions.

Protecting Your Business with Honest Security

The 1 x 5mm mobile shredding claim is a myth—but that doesn’t mean you have to compromise on security. Allegheny Records exceeds actual security requirements through integrity, transparency, and proven processes that work in the real world.

When choosing residential shredding services or business destruction solutions, focus on companies that explain their actual processes rather than making impossible claims.

Ready to secure your shredding process with a provider that tells the truth? Call Allegheny Records at (412) 381-1010 or complete the form on this page today to learn more about our comprehensive document destruction services in Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania.