There are a lot of businesses around the United States that need to shred documents with sensitive or even classified information. These include medical offices and centers, legal practices, law enforcement agencies, government agencies and the contractors they work with. Due to the large volume of paper to be shredded, they rely on commercial paper shredders to get the job done. Some use secure paper shredding services or they rent or buy their own industrial shredder machine.
There are a lot of good reasons to destroy documents with an industrial shredder machine. Some are:
- It is better for the environment. All paper that has gone through a commercial paper shredder is recycled, worry-free. The shredding process destroys the materials to such a degree that the pages cannot be put back together so when it is sent to the recycling plant you can know that your sensitive information is still safe.
- It saves space. Many offices that use high capacity paper shredders scan the documents in. By making electronic copies of everything and then running the paperwork through an industrial office shredder, they free up a lot of space.
- The data is made easier to find and is kept more securely. It is harder for people to access what is on your server than when it is in a folder. The information is also easier for you to find when you need it.
Here are some of your options for shredding:
The Lowdown on Buying a Commercial Paper Shredder
What happens when you buy your own industrial shredder. As with any choices, there are pros and cons to owning your own high capacity paper shredder. The main advantage is that you own the machine. Unfortunately, the biggest disadvantage is also that you own the machine. While if you can handle the maintenance and buying the supplies you need (toner, paper) you may be able to save some money in the long run by buying your commercial paper shredder outright. If you own the machine, all of the maintenance, supplies, and anything else that comes up are on you. In the event that it crashes, it will be up to you to rent or buy a new one.
What you need to know about renting a shredder. While some business owners like the security of owning their own equipment, there are advantages and disadvantages to renting a commercial paper shredder as well. In the first place, it can actually save money. For a monthly or quarterly fee, you get the industrial office shredder itself plus all of the paper, toner, and for any problems to be fixed when they arise. Also, if your machine breaks down or dies, the company from whom you rent it will replace it for you.
Your last option is to use a secure shredding service. There are a lot of good reasons to go with a service to take care of your shredding needs. Business owners often think the cheapest and best way to handle tasks, such as shredding, in-house. That is not always the case.
If you are a large government agency, a large medical center or a contractor, you may have the staff to do nothing but take care of document management. If you are the owner of a smaller business such as a doctor’s office or law firm, it can be cheaper to outsource this task. It costs more to take your staff away from their normal tasks to handle the shredding.
Some other benefits to going with a service are the convenience, the space-saving nature, and the guarantee. Shredding services come to you, collect the materials, and destroy them. If your information gets out and you did the shredding, it is on you. If a service did it, it is on them. If you have to abide by privacy laws, this will give you more peace of mind.
At the end of the day, the choice between buying a commercial paper shredder, renting one, or outsourcing the work to a service, should be based on your needs. The good news is that there are multiple options for getting rid of your sensitive materials safely and securely.