How You Know It’s Time to Outsource Your Shredding

A close up of the inside of a clock and the word "outsourcing" is printed on one of the gearsHopefully, your company has always embraced the necessity of shredding documents. As your business has grown, the number of shredding machines has probably increased, too. You’re trying to protect private information but also make shredding affordable. And maybe you’re wondering, “How long should I keep this up?”

There comes a time when paper shredding should no longer be an internal task and you need to seek help from the outside world. That point is probably sooner than you think. Here are some indicators that it’s time for you to consider outsourcing your document shredding.

The recycling bin gets more attention than the shredder

Your employees are tempted to just dispose of documents in the recycling bin because they don’t have the time to take them to the shredder. Unfortunately, recycling is a terrible option if you want to keep confidential information secure. Recycling intact documents is just asking for a privacy breach. Making you and your company liable for a data breach isn’t worth it.

Your staff are drawing straws to determine who has to unjam or empty the shredder

All the time spent hunching over the maddeningly slow shredder, emptying, unjamming, and repairing it, and replacing it frequently is costing your company more than the cost of an outside shredding service. Not to mention the hit to staff morale.

That molehill of paper just became a mountain

If a to-be-shredded pile of paper is building up on desks because regular shredding isn’t convenient, it’s time to make a change. Any stack of information left unattended is a potential data breach. In addition to that, files should never pass their retention dates. Sensitive records that have expired and that haven’t been destroyed sets your company up for possible fines and legal issues.

You lost the log where you kept track of what has been shredded

Missing final disposition dates will be compounded if you lack proof of what happened to your files when they finally get shredded. Does the life of each of your files conclude with a Certificate of Destruction that includes details of the date and time of shredding? This documentation is critical because it provides auditable proof that you complied with Personally Identifiable Information (PII) laws.

Your shredded paper is a great substitute for a jigsaw puzzle

If you can still piece together your documents after shredding, then your shredding process doesn’t comply with the Privacy Act, PII legislation, or the Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act FACTA.

Secure, locked collection containers should be placed throughout your facility, collected when filled, the contents destroyed with industrial-grade shredding equipment, the shredded paper mixed with thousands of pounds of shredded paper from other sources, then recycled.

Outsourcing your paper shredding is far more cost effective and secure than trying to juggle it internally. By outsourcing, you will reduce the likelihood of sensitive information being breached and the risk of ruining the reputation of your company. You will eliminate the constant need to repair and replace shredding machines and the cost of skilled staff time shredding paperwork.

Richards & Richards Shredding is a NAID AAA certified company serving Nashville-area businesses and residents who help shredding sensitive documents. To find out more and get compliant, call us at 615-242-9600 or complete the form on this page. We’ll be happy to meet your specific shredding needs with either one-time, scheduled, or drop-off shredding services. We even have environmentally friendly Seal ‘N Shred bags, perfect for the home office.

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