Has it gotten to the point where you can’t open the door to your office storage? Or maybe the stacks and stacks of cardboard boxes are starting to become a safety hazard. Looking at mounds of paper and trying to figure out what to do with them can be overwhelming. Do I just hire a junk company to come haul them out? Do I ask an employee to drag them to the curb for recycling? Should I buy a shredder and get to shredding?
All good questions and the answer to all of them is…depends how much your company’s privacy and that of your clients means to you. Often junk hauling companies will take boxes to a public recycling facility, landfill, or even sold to be shipped overseas and gone through by identity thieves. According to The New York Times, "Americans recycle roughly 66 million tons of material each year, according to the most recent figures from the Environmental Protection Agency, about one-third of which is exported overseas."
If you simply put them outside to be picked up by city trucks, again you have no idea who will be able to view them or how they will be recycled. “Bank statements, credit card statements and other documents that contain personal information should never be disposed of in an insecure manner,” says Debbie Guild, chief security officer at PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. It only takes an old application, bank statement, credit card statements, or a list of social security numbers to get identity thieves what they need to destroy your clients' lives.
Finally, the shredder. Most over-the-counter shredders do simple shredding into long thin strips unlike professional shredders who do crosshatch shredding to GUARANTEE no one can put them back together again!
So, what to do with all those papers threatening to swallow you whole? Do a purge!
Here are some common questions and answers…
What is “Purge Shredding”?
Purge shredding is the process of shredding many paper documents all at once. This is different than a recurring shred service because it’s a one-time occurrence, rather than an ongoing scheduled service. It can happen any time of year and be booked for on-site or off-site shredding.
When Would Be A Good Time For Purge Shredding?
When your company has a large volume of documents that all reach their retention date around the same time and legally you no longer are required to keep them.
You don’t feel you need ongoing shredding services.
You are cleaning out your company’s storage closets and discover boxes of old records you no longer need.
You are running out of space to add more documents to storage.
You are in the process of converting from paper to electronic storage.
Can You Setup an Annual Purge?
Yes! Many businesses request a one-time shredding purge, but you have the option of planning for an annual shredding purge following a “spring cleaning” idea or if their business is built around tax season or any kind of annual event. This helps keep the piles of paper down and also gets employees into the habit of preparing for a purge on a certain date every year.
How Is Purge Shredding Preformed?
First you choose to have either on-site shredding or off-site shredding. Either way, our trucks will come to your location and do all the heavy lifting for you! And when it’s done, you will receive verification that your papers were completely shredded and recycled.
Mobile Shredding
Mobile shredding is fun because there is a camera on the side of the truck, and you get to watch it shred! Our shred trucks will come to your location and perform the shredding right there. If you’re curious about the rate for your project, give us a call at 888-777-2099 and we can give you a quote within minutes.
Off-Site Shredding
Since the truck doesn’t shred the documents while you watch, this is less expensive than mobile shredding. Simply have your paper picked up and transported to our secure shredding facilities. Once the shredding is complete, you will receive a Certificate of Destruction and a recycling report to verify destruction and recycling of your paper.
Whether you want to set up a reoccurring shred service or do a one-time purge, American Shredding is here for you. Our stellar reputation, hardworking staff, and a dedication to safely and securely shredding your documents, makes us the best choice for all your shredding needs.
American Shredding offers shredding and recycling services to help you protect your product brand and do your part to also protect the planet. We can shred on-site at your location or off-site at our secure plant.
Contact us for fast scheduling, friendly staff, 100% recycling and low prices. We offer services in Arizona, Texas, Oregon, Utah, and Washington states. See our list of cities here.
Need help with a recycling plan? Get a quote today!