The True Cost of DIY Document Shredding

Famous (costly) last words: “Watch this. This will be easy. I can do it myself!”

When it comes to document shredding, you wouldn’t think the idea of doing it yourself would be costly. You may think it’s a waste of money to have someone else shred your documents. However, consider these often-overlooked concerns:

1. Cost of Equipment

The shredder was affordable because you bought it on sale at the local office supply store, only to realize the machine can only handle a few sheets at a time and doesn’t shred the paper small enough. You also discover that the noise from the compact shredder is very distracting to coworkers.

2. Cost of Replacement

That affordable shredder has a lifespan and statistically, the cheaper the machine, the sooner it will need repairing or replacing. In the long run, repairs and replacements cost you in both time and money. You will also need to arrange for the recycling of your deceased machine.

3. Cost of Time

The task of shredding requires labor. That means someone will need to take the time away from their regular work to feed paper into the shredder. Add the frustration and time it takes to unjam and maintain the machine, which pales in comparison to paying employees to shred papers rather than focus on their core tasks.

4. Cost of a Data Breach

If the machine you use isn’t cutting the paper small enough, your information could be at risk of being exposed or reassembled. The possibility of your documents being lost or stolen exists if your paper sits in open blue bins or file boxes instead of a sealed container, waiting to be shredded. Unless you are shredding every sheet of paper immediately, you will need to consider the cost of a holding container with the cost of a shredding machine.

5. Cost of Disposal

In some areas, shredded paper poses a risk to recycling and can’t be picked up. Your only option is to put it in bags in the garbage where it can be access by dumpster divers and, if you’re lucky, will make it unscathed to the landfill where it will sit at the expense of the environment.

6. Cost of a New “Tie”

The “tie” actually represents the many accidents and injuries that have happened because of shredders. Hair, clothing, and jewelry have been caught in shredders, causing serious injuries and worker’s comp headaches. If you require remote workers to shred documents at home, shredding machines represent a significant risk to pets and children, leaving your business open to liability.

Businesses in all industries have determined that the sensible option is to avoid these “hidden” costs of DIY shredding by outsourcing the job to a professional shredding company.

Apex Shredding in Northern Colorado offers an affordable, NAID AAA Certified document shredding service to residential and business customers. We can set up one-time shredding or scheduled shredding. You won’t have to worry about any of the long list of unexpected costs of shredding it yourself. To know more about affordable and secure shredding, call us at 970-532-5007 or complete the form on this page.