What should we be shredding? (Yes, No, Yes)
We regularly get questions from individuals and companies about what they should or should not securely shred. In this month’s edition of “What should we be shredding,” we’ll explain why you should be shredding old calendars, why you should NOT shred full or partially full aluminum cans, and why you should consider securely shredding old photographs.
Yes! Shred your old calendars
With the digital shift away from paper calendars to track all your appointments and meetings, you may have a pile of day planners or large format calendars gathering dust in your home or office. Instead of putting them in your recycling bin, add them to the items you’re collecting for secure destruction. Why?
Your old day planners and calendars probably contain more than just mindless doodles that you drew while finishing up a conference call. They likely have contact information for your clients, family, friends and give a pretty comprehensive overview of where you’ve spent your time over the year(s). It might not seem like that data is valuable to anyone other than yourself, but with a little effort, an identity thief could know where you bank, who your doctor is, where you spend your free time, where you vacation, and whether or not you buy or lease your vehicle. All of this might seem like unimportant information, but you only have to watch one or two James Bond movies to see what someone can do with a little “unimportant data.”
No. Partially full or full plastic bottles cannot be shredded
We’re using plastic bottles as our example because while they are generally fully recyclable, they can’t be shred unless they’re empty. Liquid and our shredders don’t mix. Any sort of container that’s filled with liquid needs to be emptied, rinsed and dried out before it takes a trip through our Shred Vault ™. We are happy to securely destroy plastic containers or product packaging as long as any liquid that it once held is removed. Once the items are securely destroyed, one of our downstream partners will handle recycling the shredded material, completing the life cycle of the product. When you choose Shred Right to securely destroy product or packaging, not only are you securing the chain of custody of the product so it does not end up in the hands of your competition, you’re also insuring it doesn’t end up in the landfill. If you have containers with liquids that you can’t or won’t be able to remove, you’re not out of luck. We have customized options to meet your destruction needs. To learn more about our custom destruction programs, contact us here (add quote form link here).
Yes! Consider shredding your old photos
It might seem like old photos of your family or friends aren’t the kind of thing you’d need to securely destroy unless you’re worried about your really unflattering seventh grade photo being featured at your next family reunion. However, the need to securely destroy your old photos goes beyond the potential for a little embarrassment. The chemicals and coatings old photos contain can be harmful if left in a landfill to decompose. The additional benefit for securely destroying your old photos is that you know you’ll never see them again. The photos won’t get fished out of your trash bin, garbage truck or recycling bin and end up online.
While old calendars, empty product containers and old photos don’t seem like things you’d want to securely destroy, they are all items that can cause harm when they find their way to a landfill. Consider securely destroying them instead. You’ll be protecting your identity and/ or your company’s reputation, and saving landfill space.