When it comes to paper shredding and disposing of any sensitive or confidential information you or your company may have, there are two methods to it; offsite or onsite.
But, what exactly is the difference between the two and is one preferable to the other? Let’s explore.
With on-site shredding – which is sometimes also referred to as mobile shredding – a specialist truck or container will park at your business site, an operative will collect all of your documentation that’s in need of disposal and then destroy them in a shredder and also take it away for recycling.
There are a number of reasons why people prefer this method, from the peace of mind to the speed of the service to the fact that there’s a lot less handling involved in the process. You’re able to watch the entire shredding process if you wish to so you can be absolutely certain that the documents have been destroyed and disposed of correctly. These specialist vehicles also have shredders that can handle a lot of shredding in a very short amount of time, hence the high speed of service.
Despite this, mobile shredding does have its downsides. For instance, it’s a fair deal more expensive than off-site shredding. But, it’s arguable that the added security you get with this service is well worth the extra investment. If this is a bit of a deal-breaker for you, then we would still recommend using this method at least for one-off clear-outs, which standardly happens before an office move or at the end of the year.
So, what about off-site shredding? Well, despite the fact that we’ve already outlined that mobile shredding is seen as the most secure, off-site shredding is said to be completely secure, also. The documents are delivered to a secure depot for shredding; once this is completed you’ll be emailed a certificate of destruction. When you’re in need of disposing of an incredibly large amount of confidential waste, off-site shredding can also look very favorable indeed.
A common question that people are posed with is what to do with their information in the time whilst it’s waiting to be shredded. Well, there are two methods for this; one is storing it in a security sack, lockable wheelie bin or a secure skip. The other includes lockable containers such as cabinets and bins; it all comes down to your requirements and how much confidential waste you’re in need of disposing.
All in all, both options come with their pros and cons and, ultimately it will come down to your own peace of mind and what you’re most comfortable with; after all this is a very serious task that comes with some hefty legal consequences if not done correctly. But, now you know both the options and how to correctly store the waste in the mean-time, you’ll be able to make an educated decision that’s the best choice for your own needs and requirements.
There are many companies to choose from when deciding who to put your trust in to take care of your paper shredding, one example is On Time Shred, who are one of the fastest growing paper shredding companies around and are definitely worth looking into.
