Technically, your business could do the shredding in-house. However, there are so many benefits to using a shredding company that it's often cheaper and quicker to outsource this task.
Below are five reasons why shredding documents in-house is not a good idea:
- It's time-consuming
It might be tempting to shred sensitive documents in-house. However, this can take a considerable amount of time using a standard document shredding machine, and means taking staff members away from the day-to-day running of the business.
- It costs more
It will end up costing you more to elect staff members to keep on top of destroying documents. And the cost of running and maintaining shredders you use frequently over time will only add to this.
- The shredding isn't always sufficient
Often, the shredding equipment used in offices is fairly basic and won't destroy your documents adequately. It generally uses the 'strip cut' method of shredding, which produces ribbon-like strips of paper. This isn't suitable for commercial use, since someone could still reassemble and read the shredded waste paper.
A commercial shredding service will use industrial, cross-cut shredders that cut the paper both widthways and lengthways. One of these shredders can leave a single A4 sheet in between 300 and 900 tiny pieces, so it's very unlikely anyone could put a document back together.
- Your documents could get into the wrong hands
If you handle information security in-house, there's a risk that sensitive documents can get into the wrong hands internally, or that a competitor can access your financial or client data. In essence, you can't be too careful and it makes sense to protect your business from unnecessary risk.
A document shredding company will provide lockable bins or cabinets for you to store your papers before they're shredded, adding an extra layer of security.
- You can't prove your compliance
Businesses typically shred documents only when they need to, allowing piles of sensitive documents to accumulate as other tasks take priority. This makes it difficult to keep track of what's been destroyed and what hasn't. But by partnering with a professional commercial shredding service, you'll receive a certificate of destruction after every collection, which means you also have proof - should you ever need it, that you've complied with data protection regulations.
For more information on confidential waste and paper shredding services for businesses visit our page What is confidential waste and how can I ensure my business disposes of it securely?