Document Shredding 101

Corporate identity theft and fraud has increased over the past several years. As a result, shredding confidential documents has become a necessity. But if you’ve never partnered with a shredding and destruction provider, you may not know what to expect. In this blog, we help you understand the basics of document shredding.

On-Site vs. Off-Site Shredding

On-site shredding allows you to view the destruction of your documents firsthand. At a pre-determined time, a mobile shredding vehicle arrives at your business. A uniformed, background-screened service representative scans the bar codes on your collection containers and records their fill levels. Your documents are then taken to the mobile shredding vehicle for immediate destruction. Off-site shredding offers the same secure chain of custody with one distinction: your documents are transported to a shredding plant for destruction.

Scheduled vs. Purge Shredding

You can also choose how often to shred your documents. Many organizations need an ongoing paper shredding solution. A scheduled shredding service offers routine weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly document destruction. A one-time purge service is ideal for businesses that don’t need regularly-scheduled destruction. Purge shredding can be scheduled to support office moves, file room clean-up projects, and quarterly or annual destruction of expired records.

Certificate of Destruction

HIPAA, FACTA, SOX, GLB and GA Senate Bill 425 require businesses to verify the final disposition of personally identifiable information (PII) and protected health information (PHI). When your documents are professionally shredded, you receive a Certificate of Destruction. A Certificate of Destruction records the time and date of shredding, serving as proof of your compliance with state and federal privacy laws. A qualified shredding and destruction provider will always issue a Certificate of Destruction after shredding your documents.

Post-Shredding Recycling

Today, more small businesses are partnering with service providers who help them reduce their carbon footprint. In addition to preventing your documents from falling into the wrong hands, a shredding and destruction company keeps your documents out of the landfill. After your documents are shredded, the paper waste is pulped and recycled into a wide variety of paper products.

Local vs. National Shredding Providers

There are big differences between local and national shredding companies. A locally-owned company offers personalized customer care. Unlike with a national shredding provider, you never need to call a 1-800 number and talk to an overseas call center for service. Whether you need to adjust your shredding routine on the fly or schedule a last-minute purge, a local service representative is available to help. A local shredding provider will be deeply invested in your community, often supporting local charities, children’s sports teams and non-profit organizations. Partnering with a locally-owned shredding company gives your business the dependability, trust, and attention it deserves.

To learn more about document shredding, please contact us by phone or complete the form on this page.

Records Management Center provides businesses throughout Augusta, Evans, Thomson, Martinez, GA, Aiken, SC, as well as the Central Savannah River Area, with professional shredding and destruction solutions.