How Does On-Site Shredding Work?
In the paper shredding industry, the term “on-site shredding” refers to the process of having your documents shredded at your location, or “on-site.” Using specially designed trucks with mobile shredding units inside, an on-site shredding company is able to quickly and securely shred paper wherever it is being stored. The company will simply park its shred truck at the job site, collect the paper into a large secure bin, and then dump the contents of the bin directly into the industrial grade shredder inside of the truck. You can even watch the shredding happen in real-time!
Because on-site shredding immediately destroys paper at the site where it is being stored, it is considered the gold standard in document destruction. However, not all shredding companies have mobile shredding units, and some have a combination of on-site and off-site shredding. If you’re looking to hire a company to take care of your document destruction, it is important to know the differences between these two service types so you can ensure the highest level of security for your sensitive information.
What is Off-Site Shredding?
Off-site shredding is the less secure form of document destruction. Typically, a company will use a box truck to transport your paper to an off-site location and shred it at a later time. Often, these box trucks will service multiple customers throughout the day before arriving back at their facility to shred your paper, meaning they are on the road for a considerable amount of time with your sensitive information inside of it.
There are a lot of ways information could become compromised with off-site shredding, which is why most companies and individuals opt for on-site shredding—it leaves zero room for error and offers the most peace of mind.
If On-Site Shredding is the Better Option, Why Do Companies Offer Off-Site Shredding?
If a shredding company offers you off-site shredding, it is likely because they are trying to save money (it costs less to operate and maintain a fleet of box trucks than it does specially designed shred trucks). You should always be weary of any company that prioritizes saving a few bucks over protecting your sensitive information.
Over the years, we have seen companies tell their customers they provide on-site shredding when really they are using box trucks to haul it off-site. Typically, one of these companies will provide on-site shredding at first and then switch to off-site shredding later on in hopes that the customer will not notice or care. But sometimes, these companies will be completely disingenuous about the type of shredding service they offer, which is why it is crucial to always work with a certified shredding business.
How Does On-Site/Mobile Shredding Work, Exactly?
There are a few ways that on-site shredding can work:
One-Time Shredding (Often Called “Purges”)
Recurring Shredding (Often Called “Scheduled Service”)
Let’s take a look at one-time shredding first.
One-Time, On-Site Shredding:
If you need a shredding company to come to your location and shred paper on-site one time, it is a relatively straightforward process. First, the company will want to know how much paper you have (typically measured by boxes, filing cabinets, or containers). Then, they will coordinate a day and rough ETA to come by. Once there, a service rep will use a large bin to collect the paper you have and dump the contents of this bin into the shred truck. This process is repeated for as long as it takes to get all the paper destroyed.
Shred trucks are equipped with commercial grade pierce-and-tear shredders, so they can shred through paper quickly (much more quickly than the types of shredders sold in stores). The commercial grade shredders in a shred truck can go straight through paper clips, bulldog clips, and other small bits of metal, so there is no need for you to painstakingly remove them.
There are a few things that cannot be shredded, though:
Thick plastic, such as three-ring binders (it contaminates the post-shredding recycling process and also gums up the shredder blades)
X-rays (contaminates the recycling process)
Batteries (flammability risk)
Cardboard boxes (for the same reason as plastic)
Note: Shredding companies recycle all paper after it has been destroyed. Some companies have dedicated equipment for bailing and shipping shredded paper to recyclers, while others partner with local recycling centers to take care of the bailing process for them.
Recurring, On-Site Shredding:
If you need paper shredded on a regular basis, a recurring shred service is the most convenient, compliant, and cost-effective solution in the long run.
First, the shred company will provide you with one or multiple lockable containers so you can securely discard paper until a service rep arrives to shred it. The most common sized containers are 32-gallon (either in the form of a plastic bin or wooden box/console construction) and 64-gallon (plastic bin construction). Depending on your paper volume needs, they can provide you with as many or as few containers as you need.
64-gallon bin (left), 32-gallon bin (middle), and 32-gallon console (right)
Second, the shred company will work with you to determine the ideal service frequency for your unique needs. Usually, the service frequencies options are: every week, every two weeks, or every four weeks.
Note: Most shredding companies operate on four-week periods instead of the standard monthly calendar. They do this to ensure customers receive service on regular, predictable intervals, since the number of days in a month can vary. E.g., instead of “monthly service,” a shredding company will most likely say “four-week service.”
Third, after placing the containers and giving you some time to start discarding paper, the shredding company will arrive for the first shred. A service rep will arrive with a large bin that he or she uses to collect your paper and then dump the contents into the shred truck. If they placed a 64-gallon bin at your location, they will lift it directly into the shredder and then return it.
After the shredding is complete, the service rep will get your signature, provide a certificate of destruction, and then be on there way until the next shred date!
Important Things to Keep in Mind When Choosing an On-Site/Mobile Shredding Vendor
As with any industry, some shredding companies are better than others. Due to clever marketing tactics, however, it can be hard to distinguish between reputable and troublesome shredding companies, especially if you have not worked with one before.
To save you the trouble of finding out through trial and error, here are some helpful pointers:
If you see “surcharges,” run. Many shredding companies—typically the large, national-level ones—subtly work in language about “surcharges” into their service agreements. Essentially, this means they can and will charge you more than the price you agreed to originally. Surcharges are one of the biggest red flags in the shredding industry, but unfortunately many people do not realize there are reputable, certified shredding companies out there that do not have surcharges (like us).
Look for certification. Due to the sensitive nature of document destruction, it is imperative to work with a shredding company that is certified, ideally by i-Sigma. The gold standard is to be NAID-AAA certified for on-site document destruction. Granted, just because a company is certified does not mean they are a good company, but it at least means they are held accountable for protecting your information in the most responsible and secure manner.
Get a quote from at least one local shredding company. This is easier said than done. There are a lot of websites on the internet that claim to be “local shredding companies” when really they are lead-capturing companies that outsource work to real shredding companies. Google Maps is your friend when it comes to identifying truly local shred companies.
Why get a quote from a local company? Because they most often have transparent and fair pricing as well as quality customer service. It’s important to make sure they are certified and have good reviews, but if so, it’s always worth at least getting a quote from a local shredding company.