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DIY Paper Shredding Tips – But Is It Worth It?

Professional Shredding Services Save Time and Money

Shredding laws are in place to protect consumers and companies. They ensure that documents and computers with sensitive information are appropriately handled. No one wants their personally identifiable information to fall into the hands of an identity thief. That is a recipe for disaster. Businesses must decide the best method for getting rid of confidential records and old computers. Some choose to shred their files in-house, believing it saves them money. Others understand the benefits of adequately disposing of documents through their local professional paper shredding company.

5 Tips for the Best Results with DIY Paper Shredding

If your company has decided that in-house paper shredding is the way to go, keep these tips in mind for better results:

  1. Dedicate time for shredding. It is a good idea to ensure your team has the time they need for shredding. If you expect your team to handle their own, plan for additional time within their duties to shred paper. Think of it this way – a group of ten people spending about 6.5 hours a month just destroying documents. If they have paper jams, then there will be extra time involved.
  2. Dedicate space for shredding. You can have several desk shredders in your workplace, but they will still take up precious space. It is better to have a quality shredder in a central location for all to use. That does mean your team will be away from their desks at times.
  3. Budget for the best machine you can. Shredding machines take a beating churning up paper. You don’t need to buy the most expensive one on the market, but you will want to buy a quality machine that can handle your office’s paper destruction demands.
  4. Budget for maintenance. Machines break down. You will want to consider maintenance costs when you shred in-house. You will also need to account for new blades and shredder bags. Someone will also need to clean out the dust and debris from the teeth regularly. Finally, a shredding machine will eventually break down, and you will have to invest in another.
  5. Create a plan to show the chain of custody. Some industries need to prove there was a chain of custody when they destroyed documents. They may even need to show certificates of destruction.

While you may utilize the above tips for DIY shredding, it’s important to carefully consider this—is it really worth it?

Make the Better Choice with Crown Information Management

Working with a NAID AAA document destruction company saves your company time, money, and headaches. Crown Information Management has the equipment and personnel ready to handle your shredding needs. We arrive at your location, remove the shred bins, shred the documents, and give you a certificate of destruction when we are through. We also provide you with a chain of custody for your records. We can handle paper and destroy old computers, media, and x-rays. We handle it all. You don’t have to do anything, saving you time and energy. Give us a call today.

For experienced help with shredding and destroying documents, hard drives, products, and secure, pest-free storage with a SOC1 Level 2 Report,NAID AAA, and PCI Certified company, put our team to work for you. Call Crown Information Management at 800-979-9545 or contact us online to learn more about our services.