Frequently asked questions

1. What type of document destruction do you offer?

Our state-of-the-art shedders use cross-cut shredding technology, which breaks up your confidential materials into confetti-sized pieces, cut to approximately 15mm. Our high security double shredders cut to approximately 4mm. This process of crosscut shredding offers greater security than conventional strip-cut shredders, which can leave important information visible even after shredding. In contrast, our confetti-sized pieces cannot be reconstructed, ensuring total destruction of your confidential documents.

Our unique shredders are extremely powerful (capable of shredding 1600kgs of paper per hour) and are designed to shred almost anything from electronics and fabric to metals and plastic. Whether you have CDs, videotapes, casino chips or even uniforms, we can shred them for you.

2. What constitutes confidential information?

We understand that all businesses produce different types of confidential waste, all of which could be extremely costly if they ever fell into the wrong hands.

Some examples of these confidential materials include:

3. Where do we store confidential materials which are waiting to be shredded?

We provide our customers with locked security consoles, free of charge, to safely store confidential waste before it is shredded. Designed to be conveniently sized and subtly shaded so that they blend in with any office space, our locked security consoles are placed in convenient locations throughout your workplace. Within these consoles sensitive materials are stored in specially designed security bags.

For added security, only one designated contact within your organisation has a key to access your consoles.

4. Do I need to sort my papers before they can be shredded?

No. You don’t even need to remove paper clips, staples or binder clips.

5. Is the document destruction process secure?

Yes. All of our shredding takes place in a secured and caged environment to ensure maximum security. For our on site* shredding services, the contents of your locked consoles are transported in a sealed security bag to our waiting shredding truck parked outside your office. There they are deposited directly into our specially designed crosscut shredders. No transfer of materials takes place before the shredding process.

6. How often do you come to shred?

As often as you need us to. Before your service begins, a Shred-it Sales Consultant works with you to agree a shredding schedule that is appropriate for your specific organisation and the amount of sensitive information that you produce.

You may require shredding on a daily, weekly, monthly, or even an annual basis. Whatever your requirements, the frequency of your shredding service can be modified to suit you.

7. What happens if our console is full before the regularly-scheduled service time?

Just call and we’ll be happy to organise an extra collection for you. If you find that you’re often filling your consoles before the next scheduled service date, we can provide you with additional security consoles or alternatively increase the frequency of your service.

8. When do I receive my invoice?

The invoice is provided after your shredding has been undertaken.

9. What size jobs do you accept?

No job is too large or too small. Whether you are a multinational corporation or a small home-based enterprise, we can provide the same quality service to your door.

10. What if I only need to use your service as a one off or just for annual clean-ups?

That’s no problem at all. Whatever your requirements, from daily shredding services to annual purges, we can meet your needs with the highest standards of security and compliance.

11. How often do your employees undergo training?

Comprehensive training is conducted both in a Head Office setting and in the field. The combination of these two methods means that we regularly retrain our staff about new aspects of our business so they can keep you informed of any changes that might be relevant to you.

12. Do you shred home-office or residential documents?

Shred-it offers shredding for home-office requirements within local communities.

We also offer occasional Community Shred-it Events, where a Shred-it truck arrives at a central location and shreds personal documents for local people in the community - free of charge.

* In select regions only, Shred-it’s new On-Demand Purge Service offers the convenience of off site document destruction for large volumes or ‘urgent need’ destruction.