The question, "Why shred?" is most commonly asked by people who are confused about what is really done by a document shredding company. The answer to that question is fairly simple, "To destroy documents containing sensitive material." Document shredding is an important part of legal document disposal.
Document shredding is conducted by companies all over the United States. The first step in document shredding is to dispose of any personal information on the individual documents. Personal information such as social security numbers, bank account numbers, credit card numbers, and other financial data are sensitive material and need to be destroyed to prevent the risks of identity theft and other fraudulent crimes.
Shredding paper is a popular practice for most companies across Texas. Choosing to partner with a professional shredding company is the preferred method because it is much faster than using a store bought shredder for large quantities of paper, and you save considerable time as you no longer have to assign an employee to get the task done. Most importantly however, when you choose a company to handle the destruction of your documents, you can guarantee information is obsolete as documents will be handled by a trained team of experts who follow the highest level of security measures. Following each shred job, you will receive a Certificate of Destruction outlining the process was carried out according to strict privacy laws.
Document shredding services that use off-site methods are able to shred large quantities of papers, following a strict chain-of-custody every step of the way to ensure your confidentiality. An off-site document shredding service, such as ATI Secure Docs, will collect your files and transport them back to a secure facility where the destruction process takes place immediately. All paper particles leftover are collected and recycled appropriately.
Items You Should Be Shredding
- Address labels from junk mail and magazines
- ATM receipts
- Bank statements
- Birth certificate copies
- Canceled and voided checks
- Credit and charge card bills, carbon copies, summaries and receipts
- Credit reports and histories
- Credit Cards (Expired)
- Documents containing names, addresses, phone numbers or e-mail addresses
- Documents relating to investments
- Documents containing passwords or PIN numbers
- Drafted Documents
- Education Records
- Employee pay stubs
- Employment records
- Expired passports and visas
- identification cards/badges
- Legal documents
- Insurance Information
- Internal Memos
- Luggage tags
- Medical and dental records
- Papers with a Social Security number
- Payroll Information
- Pre-approved credit card applications
- Purchase Orders
- Receipts
- Report cards
- Resumés
- Tax forms
- Transcripts
- Travel itineraries
- Used airline tickets
Items NOT to Shred
Any important documents that are necessary to keep for legal purposes and future reference, should always be kept stored in a secure manner. Consider keeping these files in locked file rooms, locked file cabinets, and safe deposit boxes.
Records not to shred include:
- Birth certificates or adoption papers
- Social Security cards
- Citizenship papers or passports
- Marriage or divorce documentation
- Death certificates of family members
- Also, keep automobile and home ownership details stored safely for as long as you own the property
Get in touch with ATI Secure Docs, to arrange a shredding job today. Whether you require one-time, on-going, or scheduled services, we provide it all. Looking to learn more about our approach to document shredding? Feel free to reach out to our team to discuss with us your needs.