Except for small, personal jobs, paper shredding today can wisely be handled by commercial firms. These companies thoroughly understand the current need for security and confidentiality. The typical portable shredders for personal and small office use are slow compared to the major equipment used by commercial firms. Even if someone chooses to shred with a portable, there is still the matter of disposal of the end product. Data is at risk until the paper shreds are finally destroyed, and securely.
Because of the type of equipment used by these businesses and their volume of work, the fees are amazingly low. These facilities take on both large and small clients. Some will even pick up a single box of documents. Depending on the firm, work can be processed in several ways. Some will only pick up and shred at their site. Others have mobile units and will come to the client and do the work at that location.
The client literally has it easy. There isn't anything to do except to select what is to be processed. For larger jobs, the commercial processor brings a large container, similar to a large trash receptacle, to the site. The container is locked but has an opening at the top just large enough to allow employees to slide the documents into the bin. The storage bin is picked up at an appointed time, processed, and passed directly to a recycler.
Other benefits include elimination of extra time spent by employees to use the portable models. Using an outside firm also eliminates noise and dust. It's possible that the company might ask the customer to remove clips and staples beforehand, but some do not even ask that.
There are additional differences between portable types and processing centers. Dedicated firms handle several thousand pounds of material an hour. Compared to that, the smaller portables have volume limits. Many an impatient user accidentally jams the unit by pushing too many items through at once, causing a delay in the work flow.
Perhaps the largest issue is getting rid of the bits and pieces at the end of the job. Experts have no problem dealing with disposing of sensitive shreds. But with individual units, users must face finding a way to dispose of it without allowing it to fall into unscrupulous hands. The special service firms are geared to protecting data from start to finish, ending with recycling the by-product.
In addition to dealing with some government standards, there are also industry standards that these companies abide by. An organization known as the Association of Information Destruction is charged with overseeing this work and in issuing guidelines. One of their major goals is to caution clients to obtain a certificate of destruction when the deed is done. Other security measures taken by these firms include employee background investigation and ongoing training. They are insured.
There's no doubt that paper shredding is the best way to dispose of private paperwork. Although some people think recycling is doing the environmentally correct thing, it is not enough. The security level is not a priority at a recycling center. Identity theft is so widespread that private data requires secure protection and proper disposal. A dedicated firm is a wise option.
About the Author:
Absolute Destruction & Recycling Corp. is a leader in Toronto shredding services. Offering both mobile shredding services and on site shredding services in Toronto and the GTA.
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