Document destruction is absolutely essential to your organization’s data security. It keeps your proprietary and sensitive data away from those who could use it against you and it also keeps you compliant. Selecting the right professional document shredding partner greatly reduces the chance of your important data falling into the wrong hands. This is the first and most critical step. Once you’ve landed on a reputable shredding company evaluate their services and determine whether you want your documents destroyed on-site at your office or off-site at their secure destruction facility.
There are advantages to both on-site and plant-based shredding, but each organization’s preferred method can be influenced by several factors. Here, we’ll lay out the differences between the two so you can make an informed decision for your company.
On-site shredding
This option allows you to keep all your intact documents on your premises and a close eye on the shredding process. When you decide to shred paper on-site, you can expect to follow this simple procedure:
- Call your provider to schedule the service
- Documents are securely transported from your office to the mobile unit in locked containers
- The provider’s mobile shredding truck turns your unneeded documents into unrecoverable bits of material in just minutes
- You can monitor the process visually (some trucks even have a video feed to observe the internal shredding process)
- Await your Certificate of Destruction if you are using a NAID certified provider
On-site shredding is essential if your organization is required to verify the destruction process or if you desire all material be destroyed before leaving your premises.
Plant-based shredding
Choosing plant-based destruction for your unneeded documents to a secure shredding facility is just as safe and convenient as on-site shredding, but the process works slightly differently. Here’s what to expect from if you choose a plant-based shredding service:
- Call your provider to schedule the service
- Documents are securely transported from your office to a secured truck to the facility
- Plant-based shredding machines destroy your documents into unrecoverable bits of material
- Await your Certificate of Destruction if you are using a NAID certified provider
Every step of the way, your documents will be handled securely by data destruction professionals. For a cost-effective security solution, plant-based shredding stands as a great option.
Regardless of whether you choose on-site or plant-based shredding, both reduce the risks and potential costs of in-office document destruction or worse using no destruction method at all. Both methods employ the recycling of material once it is fully destroyed. And both will stand up to the regulatory standards that dictate what businesses do with sensitive information. Each organization must determine which method best suits them.
Contact our team at DataShield to get all the information about both on-site and plant-based paper shredding so you can make an informed decision. It’s our job to evaluate your information security needs and how you can best prioritize security for your company and its clients.
