Did You Fall Victim To These Professional Shredding Service Myths?

Shredding your personal information and that of your clients or customers is not only vital, but it’s also the law. Tearing up papers or thinking you’ve erased data from a device and then tossing them in your garbage won’t stop criminals from finding the information they shouldn’t have.

Your choice is between hiring a professional shredding service or using a retail shredding machine you’ve purchased. You then have to trust someone, or take the time yourself, to make sure the shredding is completed. Below are some myths you may have heard concerning professional shredding services.

Shredding your own material is safer

A common myth is that shredding your own material is safer than using a service. This practice can lead to information theft or misuse and does not protect your company.

You do not want to think that you’ve hired anyone that cannot be trusted. However, having free access to critical information can lead to internal theft.

There are also situations where the employee designated to shred items is asked to determine whether the items need shredding or could be tossed into the trash. Human error could result in this type of situation where security measures are not followed.

FACTA and HIPPA laws require shredding of documents to protect privacy. If you are asked to verify your company complies with these laws, a personal office shredder cannot provide that proof. Professional shredding companies are certified to perform shredding of sensitive material and can provide you with a certificate of destruction to use as the proof required.

Personal shredder material can be recycled

A personal office shredder will create small-sized paper shreds, and most facilities who perform recycle services will not accept them. Once you have shredded your items, you will then have to find a way to remove them.

Professional shredding services partner with recycle centers that specialize in recycling shredded materials. You do not have to find your own recycling center, and there are no worries about items not being destroyed or any risk of theft.

Personal office shredders save you money

Another common myth is thinking a one-time purchase of the unit versus paying a daily, weekly, or monthly fee for a service is cheaper. However, you have to consider other costs besides the initial purchase of the machine.

You or one of your employees has to operate the shredder. Using an office shredder is time-consuming and will involve your time, or that of an employee which requires labor costs. Professional shredding services are able to destroy hundreds of pounds of material in much less time at incredibly reasonable rates.

Another cost to consider with the office shredder are the maintenance costs of keeping the machine operating properly. These machines have a high record of jamming and will either need professional repair, replacement parts, or complete replacement. These worries are never your responsibility with a professional service.

If these myths have been preventing you from hiring a professional shredding service, you need to reconsider the convenience, costs, and security they will guarantee your business.

UCI Document Destruction is your answer for reliable and safe shredding services. Give us a call today at (806) 372-7722 and discover the many Services we provide throughout the Texas Panhandle. We are located at 1000 S. Adams St. in Amarillo, or 2034 82nd St. #101 in Lubbock, Texas. You can also Contact Us by email if you have questions regarding document shredding or destruction of your sensitive data items. We are ready to help you keep your business in compliance and show you a more cost-effective method to performing your shredding.