Shred on Site

Individuals and businesses should always seek ways to decrease their impact on the planet. One often overlooked but highly effective method is confidential shredding. Not only does confidential shredding protect sensitive information, but it also plays a significant role in environmental conservation.

The Impact of Confidential Shredding

Confidential shredding is the secure destruction of documents containing sensitive or personal information to prevent data breaches and ensure privacy. While its primary purpose is security, the process also has substantial environmental benefits.

• Promoting Recycling and Reducing Waste

​Every tonne of paper recycled through confidential shredding services saves approximately 17 trees and reduces landfill waste. Traditional disposal methods often lead to paper ending up in landfills, where it decomposes and produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas. By choosing confidential shredding, you ensure that the paper is recycled efficiently. This prevents unnecessary deforestation and reduces methane emissions, contributing to a healthier planet.

• Saving Energy and Resources

The production of paper consumes a significant amount of energy and water. Recycling paper through confidential shredding requires 70% less energy and water than producing paper from virgin wood pulp. By recycling shredded documents, industries can save valuable natural resources, thus decreasing the overall environmental footprint. Energy savings also translate into reduced carbon dioxide emissions, the primary driver of climate change.

• Supporting Sustainable Practices

Confidential shredding companies often partner with recycling firms to ensure that the waste they collect is reused to produce new paper products. This supports a circular economy, where materials are kept in use for as long as possible, maximising their value and reducing the need for new raw materials. By engaging in confidential shredding, businesses and individuals support sustainable industry practices that contribute to long-term ecological balance.

• Reducing Transport Emissions

​Efficient, confidential shredding services help in reducing emissions related to transport. By managing large volumes of shredding and recycling at once, these services decrease the frequency of waste pickup and transport to landfills. Fewer trips mean lower emissions from waste collection vehicles, which significantly contributes to reducing your carbon footprint.

How to Implement Confidential Shredding in Your Daily Life

For Individuals

• Regular Shredding

​Set up a regular schedule to shred personal documents. This will secure your personal information and ensure consistent recycling habits.

• Community Shredding Events

​Participate in or organise community shredding events, which can help raise awareness about the importance of recycling and secure the destruction of personal information.

For Businesses

• Corporate Shredding Policies

​Establish a policy for handling and disposing of confidential documents. Educate your employees about the importance of shredding for both security and environmental reasons.

• Shredding Service Partnerships

​Partner with a reputable confidential shredding service that guarantees compliance with environmental standards and helps your business maintain sustainability goals.

What Happens to Your Confidential Files After Secure Collection?

Have you ever wondered what happens to your confidential files once they are collected securely? Shred-on-Site takes full responsibility for the integrity of your materials from the moment they are collected until they are recycled. Here’s a detailed look at our secure and sustainable shredding process:

1. Mobile Shredding Vehicle

Our process begins with a mobile shredding vehicle arriving at your premises. This ensures that the shredding of your confidential documents happens directly on your site, providing you with the utmost security and convenience.

2. Regular Shredding Collection

We collect confidential material from secure containers or directly from designated areas within your premises. This flexibility allows us to cater to your business's specific needs and ensure that all sensitive documents are handled correctly.

3. Secure Document Destruction

Once collected, our vetted Service Operative securely transports the materials back to the vehicle for destruction. The transport process is designed to minimise risk and safeguard your information against any potential breaches.

4. Secure Shredding

Our vehicles are equipped with advanced shredding technology capable of shredding over 2 tonnes of paper per hour. This high-speed operation ensures that your documents are destroyed securely and efficiently, reducing waiting time and increasing productivity.

5. Compliant Shredding

For those who require it, we offer the opportunity to observe the shredding process. Once the shredding is complete, we issue a Certificate of Destruction. This certificate serves as a compliance tool for your records, confirming that your materials have been destroyed in accordance with legal and regulatory standards.

6. Sustainable Shredding

After shredding, the materials are transported back to our facility where they are carefully baled. These bales are then prepared for the final step in the recycling process, ensuring that nothing goes to waste.

7. Shredded Material

Finally, the bales of shredded paper are transported to the paper recycling mill. Here, they are processed and recycled back into either office papers for reuse or to create low-grade paper products. This sustainable approach ensures that your confidential documents are disposed of securely and supports environmental conservation.

Reducing your carbon footprint is vital to mitigating climate change, and confidential shredding offers a straightforward yet effective approach. It ensures the secure destruction of sensitive information and supports recycling, conserves resources, and encourages sustainable practices. Whether you are an individual or part of a larger organisation, integrating confidential shredding into your routine can significantly impact your environmental impact.

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.