How do you Dispose of Shredded Paper?

Paper documents and files can take up a lot of space in the office or even at home if your business is carrying out a hybrid model of working. Therefore, paper shredding is an essential process in most offices across the UAE, but some businesses may be wondering how to dispose of confidential information and documents securely and how much it costs to do so.

There are a number of ways that businesses can dispose of their confidential documents depending on their budget, with some being less secure than others.

Cheap vs. Secure Paper Shredding

Paper shredding can be carried out in a few ways, with some methods costing very little to nothing and others costing around 700 dirhams (د.إ). These methods include the following which are ranked on a scale of free to around 700 dirhams (د.إ):

1. Composting: another method that costs little to no money, instead of paper shredding you could use your irrelevant and old documents as part of your compost. This method may be green and environmentally friendly, but those looking to steal your confidential information can again easily access your information and cause a data breach.
2. Burning: a method that will completely destroy your confidential documents is burning them. This method is more expensive than the previous methods as you need the right supplies, however, this method is a safety risk to yourself, staff, and your business as you will actively be contributing to the ongoing climate change issue.
3. Strip-Cut Shredding: this method is an investment for your office but will not be harmful to the environment like the previous method. This is the most common way of paper shredding in-house but can also be the most time consuming as it involves using a shredder to destroy your documents and files. However, this is also not an entirely secure method as those inside and outside of your business could still steal your information due to the lack of security that comes with recycling. This could involve the shredded strips being put back together, making the information legible once again.
4. Hiring a Shredding Service: although this is the most expensive method, it is also the most secure and environmentally friendly way of paper shredding. Hiring a professional shredding service will give you the peace of mind that your confidential documents are secure and disposed of effectively and in an eco-friendly manner. The secure chain of custody that also accompanies these type of services providers makes the price worthwhile.

Data Breaches

An emirate’s financial landscape can often determine which of the above options is utilised. But as you can see, by not hiring a professional shredding service you will save money in the meantime, but in the long run, your business could suffer at the hands of a data breach .

According to a study conducted in 2020, the MENA area of the UAE was susceptible to costly data breaches resulting in $6.53 million worth of losses for the affected businesses. And with the likelihood of data breaches increasing every year, it is vital that businesses are keeping their confidential information safe and secure, from paper storage to paper shredding.

Data breaches affect not just the business involved, but also their customers, clients, and sponsors. With important confidential information and assets being stolen (such as financial records, personal information of employees and clients, and bank details), document security at every stage is essential to assist in avoiding a data breach.

Secure Paper Shredding with Shred-it

Utilising a professional paper shredding company, such as Shred-it, will ensure that your confidential information stays secure. We offer a number of paper shredding services that suit any business depending on the amount of paper shredding you require and your budget, and these include the following services:

One Time Paper Shredding

Paper file storage can take up vital space, but our On-demand Shredding Service will help you to declutter any non-essential documents so you only have to archive paper and documents that you need to keep or are relevant to your business and clients.

Regular Scheduled Paper Shredding

Our One Time Paper Shred can work for many businesses, but larger operations may often need a more regular paper shredding service. This is where our Regularly Scheduled Paper Shredding Service can prove cost-effective and help your confidential information stay secure.

Often what is the cheapest way to shred documents is also not the most secure, and how you dispose of those confidential documents is what makes or breaks your business. Paper shredding done right will be secure and all paper is recycled through trusted partners, which is something we can provide our customers.

For more information about our Paper Shredding Services and to get a quote, please get in touch today to see how our services can protect your company, customers, and employees.