Shred on Site

When it comes to shredding, it seems like such a simple task that most businesses will assume that the easiest option is to shred documents yourself in-house. However, while the process of secure shredding may not be complex it can have a lot of negative implications for any business if it’s not properly handled. From security to compliance, there are some very good reasons to find a trusted confidential shredding partner to work with instead of handling document shredding yourself.

1. Shredding is very time-consuming. Especially if you’re using a standard office shredder it can take up a lot of precious employee time to go through the shredding process. Most standard shredders can’t take staples, paperclips, etc so all of these will need to be removed before shredding can even start. Plus, the shredding itself can be time-consuming, as is the process of removing all the waste when the shredding is done.
2. You’re facing higher costs when you shred documents yourself. This is often surprising to many people who have opted to handle the shredding process themselves in order to save money. In fact, this can be the more expensive choice, not just in terms of the employee time involved but also the cost of buying, running, and maintaining shredding machines. It tends to work out a lot cheaper for businesses to work with an outsourced shredding partner instead.
3. Most shredders just aren’t secure. There are lots of different types of shredding cuts and most basic office shredders will be at the lower end of the scale when it comes to security. A strip cut shredder, for example, tends to be the cheapest option and will leave documents in long strips that can be pieced back together fairly easily. Even some cross-cut shredders will leave enough identity in your documents for vital data to be gleaned. This simply doesn’t happen when you outsource the process, as professional shredders use shredding machines that achieve the highest possible level of destruction.
4. The security risks in-house can be high. Most organisations that handle shredding in-house don’t have access to best-practice standards when it comes to security. That means that documents can sit around, vulnerable, and there may be no set schedule when it comes to ensuring that shredding is done regularly. Leaving documents laying around and accessible like this can create high-security risks for any business. The alternative - working with a shredding partner - is much more secure. You’ll get lockable consoles in which to store documents before they are shredded and a regular shredding schedule so that there is no time for documents for shredding to build up.
5. You’ll have no transparency. Because of the unstructured approach that most companies take to shredding in-house, it’s almost impossible to prove chain of custody of documents for compliance purposes. However, if you work with a shredding partner this is simple and transparent - and you’ll get a certificate of destruction you can show to the authorities if required.

From the time it takes to the risks it creates, these are some key reasons not to shred documents yourself but to work with a shredding partner instead.

Get in touch with us today to request a quote for all your shredding needs, whether that’s a one-off service or setting up a regular service. Why not try our online tool.