We are frequently asked whether off-site or on-site shredding is better. Being as Strongbox only offers on-site shredding services, it’s clear where we stand on this issue, but I want to take a moment and illustrate exactly why secure on-site shredding is better, both in terms of general security and your peace of mind.
Off-Site Shredding Risks
While haul-away shredding services that shred off-site are often cheaper than on-site services, there are certain liabilities and risks involved.
To start, the chain of custody is immediately broken. It’s impossible to know how many people will handle any one document or file of information, regardless of how sensitive it might be. While it is unlikely, especially in a respectable facility, the risk of fraud and error increases the moment those documents leave your facilities, and if such fraud occurs, it could hurt your business in a substantial way.
Why We Recommend On-Site Shredding
On-site shredding solves the issue of chain of custody, because you can be present when the documents are removed from your secure locked shredding bins to our mobile shredding truck. With our on board video camera’s you can watch your documents being destroyed right in front of you.
More importantly, you can be part of the process, never leaving sight of those documents and working directly with the individuals that perform the document destruction. Combined with the fact that every one of our employees has passed an FBI background check, this is a very secure way to handle the process.
Of course there are the cost and time benefits as well. Many offices continue to shred on-site with office shredders because of the security issues involved in off-site shredding.
This takes a lot of time, however. Hundreds of man hours per year are spent at paper shredders, combined with a noisy machine operating near non-stop and the issue of disposal of all that waste. Most office shredders are not even that secure because they only shred in a single direction.
Most on-site shredding trucks have the capacity to We have the capability to shred at 4000 lbs an hour, quickly destroying documents in the most efficient way, and then disposing of that waste in an environmentally friendly manner. To add an added layer of security your shredded paper is then mixed with other cross cut shredded paper and then eventually recycled at a high security collection site.
While the best solution for your office may vary depending on your budget and current paper load, there is a clear choice when choosing between off-site and on-site paper shredding. If you’d like to learn more about either, call Strongbox. today and ask to speak with one of our document destruction professionals.