Shredding and Recycling Your Sensitive Documents

All types of businesses need to shred sensitive documents. Unlike large businesses that usually have shredders on site, most home office professionals do not readily have access to these types of services. But, the need to do this is just as great. Luckily, there are many services out there that allow you to shred and recycle your documents, and recycling in turn helps save the environment.

You may, however, be wondering how you go about finding information about who does this. A simple search of the Internet will turn up many options. Yet, you should not only find someone near your home, but also someone best will fit your needs. So, what do you look for in a shredding company?

First, find someone who recycles the documents after they shred your documents. The landfills of the world are getting pretty filled. More dumping is just not necessary.

Second, look for someone who does cross-shredding. Cross-shredding cuts the paper into small parts that look like confetti. This is very important since simple shredding techniques could allow a criminal to piece back together your sensitive documents. Cross-shredding makes this nearly impossible.

Next, do some snooping on your potential shredding company. You want to make sure they do what they say. There have been cases of shredding companies not doing what they promised and simply dumping your precious documents into a trash bin. Make sure that they are credible. Your documents are your life. You need to be able to trust whomever you give them to.

You should compare prices. The price is usually broken down by either box or weight. And, many have flat fees for the first few boxes or pounds, and then it gets less over time. If you tend to have heavier boxes, you may do better going with the by-the-box company. Also, there are many non-profits out there that offer shredding services. They tend to be cheaper, and it goes towards a good cause. Plus, they often recycle their shredding so you would be doing something good for the environment and charity.

Check to see if your selected companies have pick-up services. This can get a little pricey. If the shredding service is farther away from you, however, it could save you time and gas. There are a few services that will actually shred the documents on-site in their truck so you know that the shredding is being done.

Finally, check your local newspaper for community events. Many companies, TV stations, etc. will offer shredding/recycling days, where they will take your documents and shred and recycle them. These are either free or relatively cheap.