Shredding & Destruction FAQ
Welcome to our FAQ page, where we address common questions about document shredding and data destruction. If you’re looking for answers to your shredding-related queries, you’ve come to the right place. Don’t see your question answered here? Feel free to reach out to us—we’re always happy to help.
Answer: As a rule of thumb, you should shred any document with sensitive financial or medical data and personally identifiable information (PII). Since every business has unique client and corporate information, consult with a shredding partner who can provide a guide for what to shred.
Learn more about what documents you should shred in our blog post on document disposal risks and best practices.
Answer: A handful of federal privacy laws, including HIPAA, FACTA, SOX, and GLB, regulate how employee and customer information must be destroyed and disposed of. Shredding prevents data breaches that can lead to costly non-compliance fines.
Explore our blog to learn more about the legal requirements for document shredding.
Answer: You gather your documents and bring them to a drop-off shredding location where they’re destroyed. You’re charged by the pound and receive a Certificate of Destruction. Drop-off shredding offers quick and easy destruction of your unwanted documents.
Answer: We supply our business clients with locked shred consoles at their facility, so employees can place documents in a secure container before a scheduled pickup. We will work with you to determine how many locked consoles you need at your facility, and then place them in convenient locations throughout the building.
For estimating purposes, we have provided capacity in terms of a standard “banker box” measuring 10”H x 12”W x 15”D :
- 64 gallon (holds approximately 6 standard banker boxes)
- 32 gallon (holds approximately 3 standard banker boxes)
- Console unit (holds approximately 2 standard banker boxes)
If you choose to drop off your documents for shredding at our facility, we keep them under lock and key until they are shredded, which is always done in a timely manner.
Answer: Maybe. Our residential clients use our services regularly to securely shred financial and personal documents. Shredding confidential information is the ultimate preventive measure against identity theft. CI Information Management may be able to help you destroy documents stored at your home, whether they are business-related or personal documents. The availability of this service will depend on truck accessibility at your residence, proximity to the existing service area, safe access to documents, and flexibility to accommodate our schedule. Minimum charges apply for this service. Please call 509-586-6090 for more information. Drop-off shredding services are available for your convenience.
Answer: Yes. If your home or business documents are located in a storage facility that needs to be purged, we can help. Give us a call at 509-586-6090 for more information and an estimate.
Answer: Having your employees shred documents with an office shredder creates security risks and unnecessary overhead costs. Outsourced shredding is more efficient, secure, and cost-effective. A mobile shredding truck destroys hundreds of pounds of documents in a matter of minutes. It can even destroy staples, paperclips and small binder clips, so there’s no need to remove these from your documents. And we shred your documents into particles much smaller than an office shredder can offer, which reduces privacy breach risks.
Answer: State and federal information privacy laws and industry compliance standards require businesses to document their records disposal practices. A Certificate of Destruction includes the date, location, and summary of materials collected and destroyed for documented proof of your organization’s compliance.
Learn more about the importance of Certificates of Destruction in our blog post on the subject.
Answer: Equipped with locks, shredding collection containers are designed to keep documents secure before they’re shredded. Once someone deposits a document inside, only someone with a key can remove the contents. When used in a scheduled shredding solution, shredding containers prevent unwanted, confidential documents from piling up next to printers, photocopiers and in other high-traffic areas where they may be stolen.
Answer: NAID stands for the National Association of Information Destruction, the standard-setting body advocating for best practices in secure data destruction. The NAID AAA Certification Program establishes standards for a secure destruction process in the areas of operational security, employee hiring and background screening, responsible paper disposal, and insurance coverage. When a NAID AAA Certified provider completes a successful audit, they receive a certificate showing their company name, type of operations, and the specific materials they are certified to destroy. Therefore, using a NAID AAA Certified shredding provider ensures your documents receive the highest level of privacy protection.
Answer: We recycle all shredded paper. Partnering with CI Information Management not only keeps your information secure but also helps keep this earth a little greener. Each ton of recycled paper can save 17 trees, 380 gallons of oil, three cubic yards of landfill space, 4000 kilowatts of energy, and 7000 gallons of water. In other words, recycling is good for the economy and good for the environment. For more information, visit the National Recycling Coalition online at nrcrecycles.org.