There are basically two different ways to have your confidential files and documents shredded by an outside contractor.
One option is having a shred truck visit your location, park at your facility and shred. This is “on site”. Each box of files you may have would need to be transferred to a shred bin. These bins are then placed on a bin “tipper”, which feed the truck mounted shredder. Once the truck is full it is then taken to a recycling facility to be baled and then recycled.
The second, (and typically less expensive) option is “off site” shredding. Boxed files can remain untouched in the boxes. These boxes are removed in our alarmed, self locking vehicles by NAID certified personnel. It is then transported to our fully secure processing facility where the entire box and its contents are shredded.
Why is off site shredding less expensive? For several reasons. A new on site shred truck can cost up to $225,000 or more. These trucks may have capacity to shred 2-3 tons per hour, so each on site job must cover the cost of this vehicle, and the labor to de-case, shred, and then transport to a recycling facility for baling.
An off site shredding facility can cost the same or more, however it can have a capacity of up to 6 tons per hour. Once the material is processed at this site it is baled and ready for direct sale to a paper mill. This allows the off site shredding company to obtain maximum market value for their recyclable paper.
So the question remains, is on site shredding more secure than off site or “plant based” shredding? On site shredding is promoted as safer, in an attempt to obtain clients, and charge a higher fee. In our 12+ years of experience in the shredding industry we have never encountered a situation where, in our opinion, on site was a better option.
An example? One of the largest shredding companies in the country recently announced they are moving away from on site shredded, and plan to have their clients transferred to off site within the next 12-18 months.
We would leave this choice up to you. Whatever your choice, insist that the company you are hiring is NAID CERTIFIED!