In an age when we’re surrounded by a vast expanse of information, it pays to know the facts. The realm of document shredding is no exception; even the slightest misconception can lead to a mistake that results in widespread consequences for your business. Here are four common document shredding myths to watch out for:
1. It’s Better to Keep Documents
Keeping documents longer than necessary puts your customers’ and employees’ privacy at risk. While some records must be retained permanently, most can be destroyed once they reach their final disposition date. A document shredding provider destroys your documents and gives you a Certificate of Destruction afterwards. This document provides legal proof of your organization’s adherence to record disposition requirements.
2. Professional Shredding is Too Expensive
Have you calculated the cost of your in-house shredding program? Destroying a single file is a multi-step process:
1. Remove paperclips, staples, sticky notes, cardstock and file folder or binder
2. Separate the document into easily-shredded portions
3. Feed the paper into the shredder
4. Empty the shredding receptacle
5. Clean up spilled bits of shredded material
6. Toss the bag of shredded paper in the dumpster
The time employees spend on shredding means higher labor costs. Outsourcing your shredding to a qualified partner lowers your overhead expenses and gives you a cost-effective privacy protection solution.
3. No One Will Search through My Trash
Identity thieves can and will resort to any means to steal confidential data, including sifting through corporate dumpsters and recycling bins.
A shredding service offers a closed-loop document destruction solution. Secure shred collection containers are strategically placed throughout your office. Whole files—including staples, paperclips, sticky notes, etc.—can be swiftly dropped into a collection container. Depending on the volume of information your business needs to shred, collection containers are collected on a daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly basis and your documents are shredded for you. This way, your confidential documents never land in the wrong hands.
4. In-House Shredding is Secure
The risks of in-house shredding include not destroying documents promptly, thoroughly, or confidentially. Shredding often is a low priority for busy employees charged with many important tasks. Plus, office shredders are slow and unreliable. As a result, tossing documents straight into the trash or recycling bin becomes a temptation that’s hard to resist. And since office shredders don’t match the shredding capacity and security of industrial-grade shredders, your information is more likely to be compromised with an in-house shredding program.
For more facts about document shredding, please call us at 615-242-9600 or complete the form on this page.
Richards & Richards offers NAID AAA Certified document shredding and media destruction services for businesses throughout Nashville.
