From tax records to client information, most modern businesses come in contact with a lot of personal information. The United States has a comprehensive set of federal data protection laws addressing the responsibilities that companies must meet, along with a host of laws specific to each state.

Legal considerations aside, the buildup of documents in an office can present unique challenges. Storage space is finite and purchasing an office shredder is often both expensive and ineffective. If the office currently doesn’t feel the need for shredding, it places itself at a higher likelihood of having confidential information stolen.

All the above issues – and those we’ll discuss below – can be resolved through the services of a shredding company.

No Wasted Money

The trend of Doing-It-Yourself to save money is well-intentioned, but when it comes to office shredding, there are many extraneous factors that are rarely considered. First, the price of a typical office shredder is in the thousands, and it can only operate at the expense of an employee’s time. If it is only equipped to handle one or two sheets at a time, shredding a stack of handouts or old records can take hours. A shredding service, by contrast, is already reasonably priced, and the entire task will take only a few minutes.

No Need for Expensive Security Training

Part of the federal protection laws we addressed earlier is a requirement that the disposal of documents be completed by a staff member with the appropriate level of security training. This can require money and time that may not be readily available. However, all staff members of a shredding service will already hold the required certification, effectively relieving a company of that burden.

No Wading Through Legalese – Guaranteed Compliancy

A shredding service effectively removes the pressure to become fluent in legal documents. Privacy regulations have very specific standards and rules to follow, and even those with the best intentions can miss small details. Shredding companies have already gone through all the trouble of figuring out the maximum size of paper shreds (3/8” wide for general documents, in case you were curious), so you don’t have to worry about it. You can relax knowing that your documents, at any level of confidentiality, have been destroyed in a manner fully compliant with federal regulations.

No Risk of Information Compromise

Papers placed in a trash bag and left out in the dumpster for collection effectively leaves the scope of your control. At any point between being placed outside and deposited at the dump (and even afterwards), your documents are at risk of being stolen, and in many states, there’s not much you can do about it. Document shredding guarantees that they will be 100% irretrievable, effectively removing the risk of information being stolen or compromised.

No Chance of Injury from Office Shredders

From fire hazards to personal injury, especially to fingers trying to ease a paper jam, office shredders introduce an unnecessary element of risk to the office. Outsourcing your shredding means zero chance that an employee will injure themselves while trying to unclog the office shredder.

No Lawsuits for Improper Disposal

Personal information, for many people, is priceless. When it’s improperly handled or lost, many high-profile companies have found themselves on the receiving end of a class lawsuit, which can cost thousands of dollars and an even steeper expense in terms of brand reputation. A shredding service acts as a sort of legally certified buffer, assuring that disposal occurs safely and securely. You’ll even be provided with a Certification of Destruction upon completion of the process, allowing you to verify that the documents were properly disposed.

No Sleepless Nights Over Identity Theft

Even if you don’t frequently handle clients’ personal information, it only takes one misplaced piece of paper for a thief to get the information they need to begin stealing out of private bank accounts. Don’t spend any more nights staring at the ceiling, wondering if any sheets of paper fell out of the trash bin on the way to the dumpster. An on-site shredding service will allow you to personally watch and verify that every paper, no matter how small, is satisfactorily shredded.

No Unnecessary Waste – Everything’s Recycled

An unexpected perk of shredding is that it’s extremely eco-friendly. From trucks that run on ULSD (Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel) to electronic recyclers, the simple decision to use a shredding service simultaneously becomes the choice to dispose of waste responsibly.

How to Find a Shredding Service

From easing the stress on your pocketbook to reducing the chance of lost or misused data, document shredding can support every aspect of your current business practices. When you begin evaluating different shredding services in your area, make sure to pay attention to their compliancy standards and flexibility for scheduling. You might even be able to visit their facility for a firsthand look at how they operate and what security standards they adhere to.

We’re proud to provide our shredding service to residents all over Baltimore, Washington, and Northern Virginia. For more information on our customized shredding programs, get in touch with us online or call our office at (844) 400-2437.