With the onslaught of cyber-attacks on government agencies and private citizens, it is not surprising that people are worried about their security. One precaution many individuals take to protect themselves from hackers is by shredding their personal papers. However, this task can be a hassle for some, especially if you’re constantly on the go with your paper shredding needs. For those who don’t have immediate access to a paper shredder, here are the best 3 paper shredding services.
Proshred
If you’re looking for a service that offers on-site shredding, especially near your home or office, at the most affordable price, Proshred is definitely worth considering. They also have better reviews than most other competitors. They offer affordable bin rentals with plenty of locations to choose from so there’s no worry about finding a suitable location near you. Your first bin is only $85 and additional bins are only 40 dollars each! Their prices may vary depending on your location- make sure to inquire about them before signing up for service.
Proshred has 27 locations nationwide, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth, and more.
Iron Mountain
Iron Mountain is the leading document destruction company. With locations nationwide, it can be easy for you to find a location near you. They have a highly secure process and many options to fit small business needs, especially if off-site shredding is what you need.
It charges $99 for a 96-gallon bin and $40 per additional bin, while Shred-It charges $125 flat. If you sign up for regular monthly or bimonthly service, Iron Mountain also offers discounts of 25% (down to just over half price). The cost of this type of service would be around $65 plus another 16 dollars every month or every two months, depending on how many bins you want extra as well as what size containers they’re in.
If you need to have your documents shredded on-site, Iron Mountain has that service available. You can choose between having them done securely at your location or off-site as a witness present. They charge $10 per box (standard copy size) with an initial charge of $300 for the first 30 boxes.
Shred-It
Shred-It is the largest of the three shredding companies. They offer high-quality services and are more expensive than Proshred, but have fewer reviews. The company is most appropriate for drop-off shredding because they offer their service at a cheaper price point than ProShred does.
Shred-It offers all the paper shredding services from off-site to on-site, and they even offer a drop-off service for those who don’t need an office location. Proshred is cheaper than Shred-It for one of their options because it only charges by volume of shredded material rather than per unit. Iron Mountain does not charge by volume but instead charges based on the number of bins you want them to take care of. For example, if you were to order 5 bins, then it will cost $285 with Iron Mountain versus $600 with Shred-It.
Shred-It has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. Though there are some negative reviews on Yelp about hidden fees and unreliable employees, the company’s biggest issue seems to be dealing with customers effectively; a lot of users complain that they show up late or cancel without notice.
Why Is Paper Shredding Important?
Shredding papers can be a hassle if you don’t have immediate access to a paper shredder. It’s also important for personal security because it prevents hackers from gaining access to your sensitive information. With the threat of identity theft, businesses no longer want to keep information about their clients private or proprietary and thus make sure that any confidential data is properly disposed of with a shredding machine.
Overview
Paper shredding services will vary greatly depending on what you need. For example, if you’re in a major city and have FedEx or UPS drop-off as your only option, then Iron Mountain is probably the better choice for paper shredding services. However, if you want to do off-site shredding or are not located near one of those cities yet, there are numerous other companies that offer those options (FedEx, UPS, and even Staples), which could be your best choices for paper shredding service providers.