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With over 16 years of combined experience, A1 DATASHRED is the most professional, cost-effective and trusted shredding company.

What Happens To Your Shredded Paper

The shredding of secure documents is a vital aspect of information security in this day and age. There are those out there who spend their time attempting to steal your information so they can commit felonies in your name. One way to counteract this is by destroying your information, for paper records specifically that involves having them shredded into fine confetti. But what actually happens to the shreds there after? Are they just carted off to parts unknown?

Shredded paper

The Fate Of Paper Shreds

Once the paper shreds are taken away from your location, or the shred facility, they get taken to a very special place. That place is, of course, a recycling facility. And that’s the big secret, your dutifully shredded papers are taken to be recycled into new products. Please don’t hold your applause.

In all seriousness, this is a very important aspect of the document shredding process. While some would be satisfied with simply having their information destroyed, it is a large initiative in the shred industry to support sustainability efforts. With paper usage maintaining a historic high, it is more important than ever to begin reducing our impact.

When paper finds its way into the landfills, it causes them to fill up much faster then they should. Once it reaches capacity it must be closed and new ones open elsewhere. Furthermore, the more paper that is wasted, the more trees that will have to be cut. The paper industry has a large impact on the environment, consuming large amounts of power, oil, water, and of course trees. Recycling even one ton of paper can save 17 mature trees, 7000 gallons of water, 3 cubic yards of landfill space, 2 barrels of oil, and 4100 kilowatt-hours of electricity.

As you can see, sending paper shreds for recycling has a big impact. Of course those shreds end up being used in new paper products which get sent back out into the world. And that is ultimately the fate of your shredded papers. If this sounds like a fate you’d like to consign said papers too, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

August 31, 2020