Paper shredding is one of the most secure ways of destroying documents that have sensitive information. The last thing you want is financial documents or customers' data to end up in the wrong hands. Although shredded documents are recyclable, businesses must be careful when regarding who they hire for paper-shredding services. The decision determines how documents are destroyed and disposed of. This article provides more insight into issues you should look for in a professional paper shredding service provider.

Collaborations with Specialist Recyclers

The type of collaborations a document shredding company has with recyclers is crucial. However, you should first understand that shredded documents and regular papers are quite different in structure. Notably, document shredding weakens natural fibres in paper, affecting its structural integrity. Therefore, it is not enough for document shredding companies to liaise with regular recycling plants since shredded documents require special treatment when compared to conventional paper. Most importantly, businesses should only work with document shredding companies that collaborate closely with specialist recyclers dedicated to working with shredded paper.

Secure Chain of Custody

When selecting a document shredding company, you must ensure they have a robust and secure chain of custody process in place. Chain of custody refers to parties that handle shredded documents at every stage until the records reach a recycling plant. Ideally, you should look for a mobile shredding company, especially if you are a small business. A mobile document shredding service shreds all your documents on-site in a special truck; therefore, you can rest assured that nobody else has access to your records. Most importantly, shredded pieces are mixed with other company documents, making it nearly impossible to steal sensitive information should anything happen before a service provider transfers custody to a recycler.

Variety of Shredding Options

A professional document shredding company must provide varying document shredding options to its customers. Remember that document shredding is not a one-size-fits-all service. For instance, documents with highly private and sensitive information require shredder level P-4 services to cut the paper into very thin strips for security reasons. On the other hand, for documents with less sensitive information, you can settle for shredder level P-1, which generate larger strips. The shredding options provide businesses with varying security levels and allow them to recycle some documents. For instance, you can categorise your documents into sensitive and less sensitive piles. In this case, shredding less sensitive documents into large strips makes them recyclable so they don't end up in landfills.

Contact a local document shredding service to learn more.

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