Determine which documents you wish to have destroyed and which you need to retain.
Ask your professional advisors how long you need to retain certain types of documents (eg. legal, financial, medical, deeds, or incidental). There are legal requirements for varying lengths of retention required for different types of documents. You will need to set retention schedules for each of your various types of documents. With your Retention Schedule prepared you can determine how best to approach destruction.
For incidental records that do not require retention, a container service from a professional shredding service, where they attend your office and collect the documents for destruction from the locked containers they provide you for this process, is generally the best method. The shredding service can assist you in determining the best quantity of containers, the best type of lockable container, and the frequency of service for your situation.
For records with a retention schedule, where you have to store the documents for a number of years, a purge service, where the shredding company comes to your office, and collects all the documents that have past their retention date is generally best. This service may be provided with mobile on-site destruction or taken to a facility to be destroyed there. You can determine which is best for your situation and quantity of documents to be destroyed.
Once you understand what you can destroy, separate the documents to be destroyed from those to be retained. Clearly mark the containers of those to be destroyed for the shredding technicians.
Look through the containers with regard to items that should not be in there. Please refer to our Acceptable Materials sheet for greater clarity. Please remove all materials that should not be included. Failure to do so, may result in a fire, destruction of the shredding equipment, and/or additional fees.
Acceptable Materials for Paper Shredding
Acceptable Materials
- Any Paper
- All Envelopes, including windowed
- Spiral Bindings
- ACCO clips (alligator/binder clips)
- Paper Clips
- Staples
- Elastics
- Duo-tangs
- File Folders, including hanging
Unacceptable Materials
- Binders
- Plastic of any type
- Electronic Media (CDs, DVDs’ VHS tapes, X-rays, cassette tapes)
- Glass of any type
- Pop cans, perishables
- Negatives and photos
- Facial Tissues
- Explosives
- Hazardous Materials
- Cardboard, packaging
- Any other Non-Paper product not listed as acceptable.
Finding a Certified Information Destruction Service
Find a local NAID Certified Shredding Service through i-SIGMA’s website https://isigmaonline.org/service-provider-locator/ . Some shredding services provide On-Site service and others provide Plant Based Destruction. Determine which service is best for you. Call the appropriate shredding service and arrange an appointment for the destruction. Ask if there are any additional fees which may be charged for the service, and request a written quote for the work.
If your documents will be destroyed via Plant Based Destruction, prepare them as directed for the shipping process. Please refer to Palletizing File Boxes for instructions to prepare your pallets of documents for shipping.
If the documents are being shredded on-site, ensure that they are separated and clearly marked for destruction. When the crew arrives to do the shredding, ensure that they know exactly what documents are to be destroyed.
Once the service is completed, obtain your Certificate of Destruction from the service provider. Retain this document to prove your compliance with your retention schedule and your legal obligations.
