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Pros and Cons of Onsite Shredding Services

Amanda Shaw • March 9, 2021

Competition across different industries has dramatically increased over time. And all businesses are doing their best to beat the competition. But, as the competition increases, the need to protect corporate information also increases. These data include trade secrets, clients' identities, investors' details, and employee information. In return, companies adopt stricter confidentiality measures. And one of the most in-demand services nowadays is the onsite shredding services.


Onsite shredding services from the word itself is simply a secure process of destroying documents at your own premises. An outside service provider provides it, and they are the ones who will visit your businesses at a scheduled time and date. Onsite shredding does not need you to transfer the documents as a whole to another shredding facility. Instead, it will be destroyed inside your own facility before transporting it to a recycling location. In this article, you will know the advantages and disadvantages of onsite shredding services.

onsite shredding services

Pros of Onsite Shredding Services

Protection of confidential business information is the main reason why companies are adopting the shredding process. Because the files contain everything about the business operations, it is obvious why businesses need to protect their files and documents. Through onsite shredding, it helps the companies increase their data's safety and security and build client trust. Here are some of the benefits and advantages of onsite shredding services.

Increase Your Company's Information Safety and Security

Onsite shredding services are considered the most secure method of destroying your documents provided by outsiders. Since it is done in your own facility, you will be able to oversee the whole process from start to finish. You can also secure that a limited number of people will be able to access your documents before the actual shredding process. You can also have close monitoring of the files while it is waiting for the bulk shredding process. For more prominent companies, where the owner is not available to oversee the process, the owners can assign trusted personnel from the company to supervise the process. By availing of this kind of service, corporate information security is more robust.

Client, Investors, and Employee Confidence

No one wants to be associated with any company that does not correctly practice confidentiality measures. Because people care about their information security, they tend to avoid those who don't. By availing of onsite shredding services for your company, it will increase your client and employees' confidence in the company. Clients, investors, and employee's retention rates will increase because they are confident that the confidential information trusted to the company is in good hands. Also, protecting your clients, investors, and employees identity will lessen competitors' risk of interrupting your operations.

Gives You Immediate Peace of Mind

Through onsite shredding, you can ensure document security until it is torn into bits and completely illegible. If you choose offsite shredding, the service provider will pick up your documents and transport them to their facility. Your documents might be stored in a warehouse before it is destroyed, and it might not be shredded for several days or even weeks. And during those periods, a higher risk of data leakage will arise. If you are after immediate peace of mind, onsite shredding services are perfect for you. Because in onsite shredding, you can decide when and where you want to destroy your documents. And because your papers will not be detached from the company premises, you can be sure that no data leakage will happen while these documents are waiting for the shredding schedule.

It is Very Convenient

Onsite shredding is a very convenient way to destroy your company documents securely. If you go for onsite shredding services, you will decide the frequency of regular shredding services depending on your availability and the volume of documents. And since it is done on your own premises, the need to pack and transport it will be eliminated. It will also save your personnel time because the daily loading of documents to the shredding machine can be done at once and in bulk. Moreover, well-trained experts will be the ones to do the process for you, which means the job will be done smoothly and quickly. Onsite shredding services usually include a pre-agreed schedule, and because of that, the need to negotiate regularly will also be eliminated.

onsite shredding services

Cost-Effective Way to Eliminate Your Documents

Having your own shredding facility will cost you a lot – from the shredding machine itself, its maintenance cost, and down to the more personnel required to operate the machine. In addition to these, you will also need to spend extra money on your personnel's training to avoid accidents. With onsite shredding services from outside providers, you don't need to invest in an industrial shredding machine. Besides, human error risk will be lessened if not eliminated because service providers are more equipped with knowledge on the proper disposal of confidential information. Aside from human error, the industrial machine contains sharp parts that, when misused by non-trained persons, might cause serious harm.

Compliance with Confidentiality Protocols and other Regulations

Some companies are subject to compliance with confidentiality protocols. As a company, you need to be always updated with these protocols to avoid serious repercussions. Yet, keeping up with these protocols will be time-consuming and require extra costs. Companies providing secure data destruction services are always updated with the specific industry's new protocols and compliance requirements. It is in their nature of work to be always updated with the protocols and regulations. By implementing onsite shredding services for your company, you will no longer worry about the possibility of breach of confidentiality contracts.

Environmental Benefits

Proper disposal of company waste is very beneficial to the environment. If you are adopting proper company waste management, you protect your identity and protect the natural environment. Since shredded materials can be recycled, it is an excellent way for businesses to save money and at the same time support conservation of natural resources. Whether you are shredding your documents with your own facility or using service providers, you are reducing your harmful footprints on the environment. Moreover, the service providers have a good program for the recycling process, so there is no need to bother where to put your waste.

Cons of Onsite Shredding Services

As important as the pros of onsite shredding services are the cons of it. Before availing of onsite shredding services, you must also know the disadvantages of availing of it. Here is the list of some disadvantages of onsite shredding services that you must consider.


Not always available

Depending on the volume of documents and the need of the company onsite shredding services will be scheduled. And because an outside entity provides it, it is not always available when needed. So if you need to shred some documents immediately, you will still need a small shredding machine for your infrequent shredding.

Occupy space

Since onsite shredding is done on your own business premises, you will need to designate a particular facility for it. Also, another room to store the documents awaiting shredding must be set by the company. If your business has limited space, it will consume a lot of space. Instead of utilizing these spaces for business operations, it will be used as storage areas of documents.

onsite shredding services

How Forms of confidential information evolved?

In the past, papers are the only storage of confidential information of every company. And to destroy these documents, companies use shredding machines. Yet, due to modernization, the forms of storage of confidential information also evolved. The increasing volume of information as the company prospers is another factor that influences improvement of data storage. Companies become more dependent on technology because of its convenience and efficiency. Digital media and electronic devices are widely used as storage of company information today. Like the papers that companies shred, the data on media and electronic devices must also be destroyed due to privacy matters.



Due to the advanced nature of these devices, simple destruction is not enough. Securing that any bit of data is completely removed will need higher professional knowledge about these devices.


Secure Data Destruction with Abtron!

Abtron has almost three decades of valuable experience in different computer services. And for 25 years, Abtron is continuously exceeding customers' requirements with its world-class services. They are a team of well-trained experts that are always updated with regulatory protocols and state laws. Also, you can be confident because they only give the highest quality of service possible. To completely eradicate your data they will use the utmost quality of data destruction machines. 



If you are planning to dispose of electronic devices, they are here to help you. Relax, because you are in good hands. At Abtron, we destroy data on media and electronic devices securely without leaving any bit of data because your privacy matters. Connect with us today!


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