First-time clients may wonder how to prepare documents for a shredding service in Northern Virginia. The task is easy and involves staying organized and removing certain items. Keep reading to learn more about how to simplify the shredding process as well as what you should do and shouldn’t do to prepare.
Need shredding service across Northern Virginia, Maryland, or Washington, D.C.? Contact TrueShred for a free quote after following the tips below.
What You Don’t Need to Remove
You don’t have to remove items like rubber bands, staples, and paper clips to prep documents for shredding, eliminating the tedious task of removing them one by one. You can also leave manila folders, labels, and sticky notes.
Clients also frequently question whether they should remove or separate stapled financial statements. Neither is necessary, as our equipment can handle thick stacks of paper. Additionally, we adhere to strict confidentiality guidelines, so you can feel confident that we’ll destroy all financial documents appropriately.
What You Should Remove
Questions about what to remove before shredding are also common. Please remove any clipboards and binders, including those with bulky metal or plastic components like rings. We also don’t accept cardboard or any paper that’s wet, moldy, or covered in food or beverage residue. Documents shouldn’t be wrapped in rubber bands.
Additionally, if you’re opting for document shredding, remove any items like CDs, hard drives, and USB drives. We accept these items, but they’re part of our electronic and media destruction services. They can’t be mixed in with paper documents.
How to Organize Documents Before Pickup
Organizing your documents is an important part of shredding service preparation. Having a document shredding checklist, for example, is a good idea. This ensures that you don’t forget anything you want to dispose of properly and that the process happens as easily as possible. It also guarantees that nothing will accidentally get tossed out with regular trash or be included when it shouldn’t be.
Start by sorting through all the documents and removing anything that’s not accepted. As you’re going through the paper, put what you want shredded into sturdy boxes or bags. When you’re finished, each should weigh no more than 35 pounds. Label each box or bag so there’s no confusion about where they’re meant to go. Stack boxes vertically and group bags together. Keep any sensitive records in your possession until pickup to avoid breaking the chain of custody.
Plan accordingly if you’re doing a large-volume purge. Give yourself more time than you think the task might take to complete and create a document-shredding checklist. This ensures that you’ll be ready for your scheduled appointment and won’t miss destroying any crucial material.
Industry-Specific Tips
Security precautions in any industry are critical when you’re preparing documents for shredding. However, individuals in certain industries must adhere to precise guidelines according to specific laws and procedures.
For example, those in financial services must keep in mind the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) and the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACTA). Government contractors, if required, must complete certain security clearances and document every step in the process. Healthcare facilities must abide by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and Business Associate Agreements (BAAs). Legal firms typically have to keep meticulous retention logs. Educational institutions need to keep the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) in mind.
It’s also important to follow the appropriate chain of custody for your company and industry and adhere to confidentiality requirements. Whether you need financial services shredding, legal industry shredding, or you’re part of another industry, you can watch the destruction process via our CCTV screens in real time.
Mobile vs. Off-Site Shredding — Do I Prepare Differently?
We offer both mobile and off-site shredding services. With mobile services, our National Association of Information Destruction (NAID) AAA-certified shredding team comes to you and destroys the documents on site. This means there’s less mobile shredding prep. TrueShred offers two options for off-site shredding. We can pick the documents up at your business and bring them to our Manassas location for destruction. You can also bring them to us.
There are a few things that are the same between mobile and off-site shredding. In both cases, you’ll receive a Certificate of Destruction, you’ll get privacy and confidentiality, and your documents will be destroyed as promised.
How TrueShred Makes Pickup Easy
The goal of our family-owned company is to make sure our clients receive the secure, convenient services they need and deserve. We make the shredding process simple, whether you want one-time shredding service or ongoing shredding service. For example, if you want recurring service, we can drop off consoles or bins to you in Northern Virginia, Maryland, or the D.C. metro area.
You can schedule any of our services at your convenience, either online or by calling one of our team members. Both mobile and off-site services come with a Certificate of Destruction every time.
When to Call TrueShred
The best time to call TrueShred is when you have a significant amount of paper, electronic, or media materials that you want destroyed. The good news is that there’s no exhaustive prep work involved. Both residential shredding and commercial shredding services are available for one-time purges.
Businesses can set up recurring services according to their needs. Our multiple options ensure that you properly destroy materials you no longer want while adhering to the required chain of custody.
Contact TrueShred today for more information or to book your first appointment for paper shredding, electronic, media, and hard drive destruction.
FAQs
Understanding more about TrueShred’s services and how to prepare for them can allow you to make sure the process goes perfectly. The following are several common questions our team often receives.
Do I need to remove staples and paper clips before shredding?
Going through stacks of papers and removing paper clips and staples is a tedious, exhaustive process. When you rely on TrueShred for the document shredding process, you won’t have to worry about them. Our team handles the task for you.
Can I include file folders?
Yes, we can shred file folders with your paper documents. This includes files with paper clips, sticky notes, or labels attached.
Can I shred CDs and DVDs with paper?
We shred both paper items as well as media and electronics. However, we have different processes for each. Please separate both types of items before providing them to TrueShred for destruction.
How much paper can I shred at once?
We handle bulk shredding jobs of many sizes. Please call TrueShred, as we can provide information that’s tailored to your specific needs.
Do I get proof that my documents were destroyed?
We understand how important it is to have peace of mind when you’re trusting TrueShred for document shredding. That’s why we provide a Certificate of Destruction every time. We recommend keeping it after each service for your records.
