Shred Bins: What They Are and How to Choose

Expressions such as “the weakest link,” “ducks in a row,” and “dot your i’s and cross your t’s,” all emphasize the importance of organization in tasks or projects.

When it comes to protecting private information, the weakest link often occurs in areas that receive little attention. One of those vulnerable areas in managing paper information is the time between when paper is discarded and when it is properly destroyed. Here’s why this is critical:

1. In our busy lives, we often casually dispose of paper, sometimes even opting for recycling. However, paper containing sensitive information should never be discarded without being securely shredded, preferably by a professional shredding company.
2. Regardless of whether we toss or shred, some sensitive information always slips through the cracks. This can include items like junk mail, photos/IDs, travel itineraries, boarding passes, shipping labels, sticky notes, bank statements, cancelled checks, handwritten notes, and more. Adopting a “shred-everything” policy ensures that nothing is overlooked.
3. Discarded paper waiting to be shredded is vulnerable to being seen, misplaced, or stolen. Even if the intention is to shred it later, this delay poses a risk of information breaches. The options are either immediate shredding, which is impractical, or ensuring secure collection until shredding.

Solution: The Shred Bin

Shred bins serve as secure, locked collection containers for your sensitive documents. These containers keep your documents securely stored until they are taken away for shredding. Reputable shredding companies automatically recommend and supply these bins. Part of their process is to provide containers to collect documents for shredding and replace them with empty containers when needed. But how do you know which bins are best for your company?

Shred Bin Choices

When selecting a shred bin for your business, a professional shredding company can help you make an informed decision by considering the following factors:

1. Bin Size. Estimate the quantity of discarded paper to determine the appropriate bin size. Bins are categorized by their weight capacity, with a rough estimate being 20 reams of discarded paper equating to about 100 pounds.
2. Decide how often you need the bins emptied based how much paper your business discards in a given time period. To keep information secure, bins need to be serviced before they reach maximum capacity.
3. Consider your building size and number of staff members to determine the required number of bins. Large, open floor spaces may need more bins for convenience and to streamline traffic flow.
4. Assess whether your bins need to be aesthetically pleasing based on their visibility to clients or customers. Industrial-type bins might be fine for less-visible areas, but consider more attractive options for busier areas.

To better protect your sensitive information during the interim period between discarding and shredding, partner with a professional shredding company that provides and services shred bins.

Records Management Center offers various sizes of collection containers, including an executive cabinet for customer service or executive areas. We can guide you in choosing the right bin size and type and the right shredding service options for your business. For more information about recurring shredding service and our shred bins, call us at 706-724-7982 or complete the form on this page. Our friendly shredding experts are here to help!