Taking Recycling SeriouslyTaking Recycling Seriously

When you have several documents that need shredding, (e.g., old tax forms, bills, etc.) you want them shredded in the most secure way possible. You also want them recycled properly, since they are recyclable items. There are a couple of options for secure document shredding and recycling, some of which you can implement at home as well as at work.

Document Destruction Companies

There are several companies available nationwide that focus on the complete destruction of your personal and classified documents. Many of these companies also provide recycling methods for x-rays and printed patient sonograms. Since medical facilities and financial institutions must, by law, protect the personal information of all the people they serve, the same laws are binding to companies who offer secure document destruction services. If your company has highly sensitive files on paper that have recently been converted to digital material, or if it just wants to destroy all paper files to protect consumers/patients, then this type of service is ideal.

High-Tech, Criss-Cross Shredders

There are also shredding machines you can buy for home and office use that do an excellent job of shredding documents you would not want strangers or identity thieves to get their hands on. These higher-priced, high-tech shredding machines first cut all of your documents one direction, and then cut them in a direction perpendicular to the first cuts. The result is a lot of confetti-like pieces. These machines can also cut up credit cards and banking cards, which is a very useful, additional feature.

Smart Disposal of Shredded Documents

Recycling companies that handle shredded documents know that it is still possible for someone to sift through your confettied documents and tape them back together. If you want the ultimate in security, it is a good idea to take your shredded documents from work or home and disperse the shreds into several bags and then dispose of the bags over the course of multiple weeks or even months. When you do not have a service that is very careful about destroying and recycling your shredded documents for you, this is the next best plan of action for recycling the bits securely. 

Incineration

If you happen to live in a building that has an incinerator, you can have the shredded documents incinerated. If the incinerator also heats the building, and you can feel a little less guilty about not recycling all of that paper, knowing that your shredded documents are not only being destroyed, but also keeping everyone warm and toasty. If you are especially concerned about adding pollutants to the air, find out if the incinerator in your building or where you work has special "scrubbers" that keep burned paper ash from entering the air.