Shredding: what to know

What the job involves, what changes the price, and what to ask a pro.

What shredding is

A shredding provider destroys sensitive paper documents or media, either on site with a mobile shredder or at a facility, and often issues a certificate of destruction. Businesses and households use shredding to dispose of records that include customer, employee, financial or medical information.

Signs you need it

  • You have boxes of old customer, employee or financial records that need to be destroyed
  • Your office is clearing out old files, and the records contain personal information
  • Your records retention policy calls for regular destruction, and the old paper is piling up
  • You need a certificate of destruction for your records or for an audit
  • You have old hard drives, tapes or media that hold sensitive data along with paper

What the pro does

  • Review the materials to be destroyed and confirm the types of media included
  • Agree on the pickup schedule, the number of containers and the destruction method
  • Collect the materials in locked containers or bins, and record the count at pickup
  • Transport the materials to the shredder or facility under the chain of custody you agreed on
  • Shred or destroy the materials, using the method and particle size the agreement covers
  • Issue a certificate of destruction that lists the date, the amount destroyed and the method used

What changes the price

Every job is different, so we do not publish prices. These are the things that move the quote up or down.

  • The volume of material, measured by the number of boxes, bins or the amount of media
  • Whether the job is a one time purge or a regular pickup on a fixed schedule
  • Whether destruction happens on site with a mobile shredder or at the provider's facility
  • Whether media such as hard drives or tapes must be destroyed along with the paper
  • How often the bins are emptied and how many bins the site needs
  • Whether a witnessed destruction or a special certificate is needed

What a written quote should spell out

  • The types of material covered, including paper, hard drives and other media
  • The destruction method and the particle size or standard the provider uses
  • The pickup schedule, the number of bins and where they are placed
  • How the material is transported, stored and kept secure until destruction
  • The certificate of destruction, what it lists and when you will receive it

Questions to ask before you hire

  • Do you destroy material on site, or do you take it to a facility, and where is the facility?
  • What is the destruction method and the particle size of the output?
  • Who drives and handles the material, and how are they screened?
  • Can I watch the destruction or receive a witnessed certificate?
  • Do you issue a certificate of destruction, and what does it list?
  • How do you handle electronic media such as hard drives?

Red flags

  • Will not describe the destruction method or give the particle size
  • Leaves bins unlocked or in public places before pickup
  • Will not issue a certificate of destruction
  • Asks for a large upfront payment before the first pickup

What you can do yourself

You can sort out documents you no longer need, shred small amounts with a cross cut shredder you own and remove personal data from old devices before recycling them. Hire a shredding provider when the volume is more than your shredder can handle, when records must be destroyed under a documented process or when you need a certificate of destruction.

Licenses and permits

No license is usually required to shred paper or media. Ask instead for the provider's written destruction process, proof of insurance and references from businesses with similar records; check with your state or local environmental or waste agency for any rules on handling electronic media and waste from the job.

Shredding questions

Why do I need a certificate of destruction?

It records the date, the amount and the method, which helps show that sensitive records were destroyed as your policy requires. Keep it with your records policy.

Can I shred my own documents?

Yes for small amounts, with a cross cut or micro cut shredder. For large volumes, or for hard drives and tapes, use a provider that can show its destruction method.

How often should I schedule pickups?

It depends on how fast your business creates sensitive paper. Set a schedule that keeps bins from filling up and from sitting in public areas.

About this guide

This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.

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