4 Great Reasons Why We Need Paper Shredding

Paper is a precious resource, every sheet you use is part of a tree that has been eliminated. As people become more aware of environmental issues it becomes increasingly important to recycle things, including paper.

However, many pieces of paper contain personal information. If these were to fall into the wrong hands it becomes surprisingly easy for someone to steal your identity. That costs insurance companies billions every year and will give you a lot of hassle. In short, your credit rating will be shot and you’ll have to jump through hoops to prove it was all a mistake beyond your control.

It’s a much better idea to destroy the paper document properly. In fact, there are four great reasons to indulge in security shredders and shred all your paperwork. It should be noted security shredders separate the paper into tiny pieces, making it virtually impossible to put it back together.

1. Prevent Identity Theft

We’ve already touched on this. Whole paper documents contain people’s names, addresses, and other personal information. In many cases, a few separate pieces of paper can give someone everything they need to steal your identity. Using a high-quality shredder eliminates the risk and protects your identity.

2. Comply With The Law

The law requires that you only hold information on customers and staff that you need. Everything else should be got rid of. It should be shredded for the same reasons as described above.

Documents that are kept can be thrown away after 5-7 years, depending on what they are. However, they still need to be eliminated safely. Fire is not a good option as there is no guarantee it will destroy all of the paper. A security shredder will convert a piece of paper into tiny pieces, making it impossible to put it back together.

This approach doesn’t just mean you’re complying with the law, it also protects the business. Any company that loses data will lose the trust of its customers. It can sometimes be impossible to recover from that type of reputational damage.

3. Reduce Fire Risk

Storing paper of any sort is dangerous. It is extremely easy to set alight and poses a real fire risk. It’s better to get rid of the paper as soon as possible.

Of course, as already mentioned, the paperwork needs to be properly disposed of. In effect, it needs to be shredded. You can even do this with the documents that need to be kept. Simply scan them onto your system and keep backup copies. The originals can then be shredded to reduce fire risk and help keep people’s identities safe.

4. Protect The Environment

Finally, paper comes from trees and there is a limited supply of trees on the planet. To reduce the need to cut trees down and to help save the planet, you need to recycle as much paper as possible. Shredding ensures that documents can be safely recycled. Shredding, mixed with scanning ensures all paper is recycled, decreasing the need to cut more trees down.