Why would I use a shredding service instead of just recycling? For security purposes. Recycling services are not designed to provide security. Basically, recycling services use open collection containers which are accessible to anyone; staff, janitors, etc. Generally, the employees of recycling service companies are not security screened personnel. Your paper is transported in its whole form, meaning if an accident should occur, your secrets are available to anyone. Paper is taken to the warehouses, which are accessible to the public, and the paper is sorted for grade. The courts have ruled that once you place your material into the trash can, recycling receptacle, or dumpster, you lose all privacy rights to that information, no matter how sensitive or proprietary it is. The laws on public domain protect the people taking the information - NOT YOU! You may even be held liable for negligence if the discarded material harms someone. With the development of the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999 (also known as the Financial Services Modernization Act), shredding of documents has become the recommended method for the handling of sensitive documentation.

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