I was reading Slate magazine just recently and found this new article. According to The Explainer there are now fairly inexpensive programs that allow you to scan the bits and pieces of shredded papers into a computer and then reassemble the original pages. It’s also worth noting that some shredders are better than others: strip shredders aren’t worth much, especially when they shred papers horizontally so whole lines are intact.
Bottom line: if you have confidential information like credit card #s, bank accounts etc, you need to upgrade your shredder.