1. SAVING TREES When we shred and re-use paper, we prevent further destruction of our forests. Producing new paper directly from trees consumes a large amount of energy and water. Even worse, the process of this transformation releases pollutants into our atmosphere. Recycling one ton of paper saves roughly seventeen trees and 7,000 gallons of water, not to mention protecting our forests. "A single mature tree can absorb carbon dioxide at a rate of 48 lbs./year and release enough oxygen back into the atmosphere to support 2 human beings."- McAliney, Mike. Arguments for Land Conservation: Documentation and Information Sources for Land Resources Protection, Trust for Public Land, Sacramento, CA, December, 1993
Imagine the long-terms effects this will have on preserving our environment! Every tree counts. American Shredding recycles every single piece of paper it shreds no matter how small the particle size.
2. REDUCING ADDED WASTE FROM ENTERING LANDFILLS When paper is shredded and recycled, it is one less material that isn’t making its way to our landfills. Increasingly, landfills are becoming more and more of an environmental concern; they create local pollution, and contaminate the groundwater and soil. Landfills starve garbage from oxygen and nutrients needed to break the material down. The lack of microbial decomposition is so stifled in landfills, paper takes much longer to decompose there than under normal conditions. Or so discovered William Rathje, a professor of archeology at the University of Arizona, who started the Garbage Project—digging through landfills to find clues about consumer behavior. His team found legible newspapers more than fifteen years old, indicating decomposition in landfills doesn’t occur as it would in a compost heap. We take pride in our document shredding services because every little bit helps towards diverting un-necessary content from our landfills. Lastly, it is against State and Federal laws to put HIPAA protected health information in the landfill.
3. WE RECYCLE EVERYTHING! ALL MATERIAL IS DISPOSED IN A GREEN, SUSTAINABLE MANNER While document destruction is our main focus, we also focus on recycling every bit of shredded paper, regardless of the particle size. It is a priority for us to offer a means of disposal to our customers that goes beyond just paper. Whether it is electronics, paper, tapes, books, or other retail merchandise, American Shredding will take on the task and destroy your items, seeking the most environmental approach available to do so. Visit our Case Studies to see the unique requests we have completed successfully in the past for our customers. You may be surprised to learn of our shredding capabilities. Think it can’t be shredded? Try Us!
4. PRESERVING NATURAL RESOURCES AND COMBATING CLIMATE CHANGE We are constantly doing our best to make a valuable contribution to our environment. When we recycle your paper, this process helps to improve the efficiencies of our earth’s natural resources. What can sometimes be forgotten, paper recycling not only preserves our trees, it also keeps a significant amount of carbon dioxide from entering the air, thus reducing the global greenhouse effect. While it may be difficult to reverse climate change entirely, shredding and paper recycling is a step in the right direction.
5. HELPING OUR CUSTOMERS GO GREEN Not only do we provide document destruction services, we’re also partnered with Green Planet 21 a recycling and sustainability company that specializes in turning your company’s waste stream into revenue streams. We can assist you with putting together a customized service program, which is best suited to your recycling requirements. Based on your current recycling program, together we will assess ways in which it can be improved or altered so collection practices are easier, and more efficient. In turn, this will be a beneficial approach towards decreasing overall waste costs. We’ll also provide tips and suggestions for educating your staff members and getting them involved in the recycling program.