Frequently Asked Questions

GETTING STARTED

How can I request my quote for shredding services?

• Request your quote by chat, phone, email, or filling out the form on our website. We'll provide you with service options and connect you with one or more providers. Those providers will then reach out to you with a no-obligation quote for their services.

How quickly can I get my free quote?

• How quickly you receive your quote depends upon the local provider(s). After you reach out to Chicago Shredding Services via phone, chat, email, or by filling out the form on our website, we’ll contact you to review service options and connect you with one or more local providers. Those providers will then reach out to you with a no-obligation quote for their services.

How much does it cost to shred my documents?

• The cost to shred your documents depends upon a few factors. Location, service type, and the amount of documents you have to shred all impact the cost. Call us at (847) 620-0016  or fill out the form on our website to get your free quote today.

How do I schedule shredding services through Chicago Shredding Services?

• Contact us by phone, chat, email, or by filling out the form on our website. We’ll contact you as soon as possible to connect you with providers in your area who can handle your specific job size and type. Those providers will then reach out to you with a free quote for their services. Once you choose the provider that works best for you, you’ll schedule your service with them.

How much lead time is required to schedule service?

• The lead time required to schedule service depends on several factors. Your location, the amount of documents you have to shred, and the type of service you require all impact cost.

Does Chicago Shredding Services perform the shredding services?

• Chicago Shredding Services has over 20 years of experience connecting thousands of customers with our trusted network of local, certified shredding professionals. We partner with the best of the best in shredding to ensure compliance, convenience, and affordability for your project.

What industries should use shredding services?

• If you work in an industry that handles sensitive or confidential information, you should consider shredding services. Professional shredding services help ensure compliance with state and local privacy regulations. Chicago Shredding Services supports many industries, including healthcare, legal, financial, government, education, and other businesses that deal with customer or employee records.

SECURITY & COMPLIANCE

Why is it important to shred my documents?

• Document shredding is the safest method of disposal for documents that are past their retention date or contain sensitive information. Throwing sensitive information directly in the trash or recycling increases the risk of data breaches, identity theft, and information leaks. Shredding documents professionally ensures your files are completely destroyed and no one can access your sensitive information.

Is the shredding process secure?

• Yes, the shredding process is secure. Privacy is a priority for Shred Nations and our partner network. Our certified shredding partners follow strict chain-of-custody procedures to ensure the shredding process is fully confidential. We only work with shredding professionals who are compliant with all relevant shredding laws, regulations, and industry best practices.

Are Shred Nations’ services compliant with privacy regulations?

• Our services and the services of our partners are designed to meet or exceed industry standards. The professionals in our network comply with local, state, federal, and industry privacy regulations, including HIPAA, FERPA, GLBA, and FACTA.

What is HIPAA?

• The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a federal security law impacting the medical industry that protects the privacy and security of patient health information.

What is FERPA?

• The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal security law pertaining to education institutions that protects the privacy of student education records. FERPA applies to all schools that receive funds from the U.S. Department of Education. This includes public and private elementary, secondary, and post-secondary schools.

What is GLBA?

• The Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act (GLBA) is a federal security law impacting financial institutions and requires those institutions to share how they use and protect their customers’ private information.

What is FACTA?

• The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA) is a federal security law that protects consumers from identity theft. It impacts companies across industries and helps consumers more easily access their credit details.

Are paper shreds recycled?

• Yes, paper shreds are recycled. After paper is shredded by an industrial shredder, the remains are assembled into large bales of paper shreds that are then recycled.

What is a certificate of destruction and when do I receive one?

• A certificate of destruction is a legal document provided by professional shredding services. It confirms and serves as proof that any sensitive information has been securely destroyed and disposed of in compliance with state and federal privacy laws. Certificates of destruction are not available for drop-off services, but can be provided after mobile and offsite shredding.

CHOOSING YOUR SHREDDING SERVICE

What types of documents should I shred?

• You should shred any documents containing sensitive information. This includes financial records, medical files, credit cards, legal documents, mail, tax documents, or anything else that includes personal identification information.

What are the different shredding services?

• Chicago Shredding Services offers three main services — offsite shredding, mobile shredding, and hard drive shredding. With offsite shredding, a secure truck comes to your location, picks up your files, and transports them to an offsite shredding facility for destruction. With mobile shredding, a mobile shred truck comes to your location to shred your files as you watch. With hard drive shredding, your hard drives and other electronics are picked up by a secure truck and transported to an offsite shredding facility. You’ll receive a certificate of destruction after each of these services that certifies the completion of the job.

Is there a location near me where I can drop off my documents to be shredded?

• Designated drop-off centers are located across the country. They’re usually most valuable for smaller shredding projects and price by weight, so there are some quantity and weight restrictions. Call us at (847) 620-0016 to find a drop-off shredding location near you.

What if I need to witness the shredding?

• If you want or need to witness shredding, our mobile shredding service is the best option for you. With mobile shredding, a secure truck comes to your location and shreds the documents as you watch.

Do I need to remove staples, paper clips, binder clips, and other fasteners?

• Staples and paper clips can usually be left on the documents. However, binder clips need to be removed. Requirements can vary based on location, so check with your local service provider to confirm.

What is purge shredding?

• Purge shredding, also known as bulk or one-time shredding, is when you have a large amount of paper to shred. For individuals, this could be decades’ worth of tax documents, bills, and old mail that’s accumulated. For businesses, this could be years’ worth of employee records, invoices, and client documents filling up storage rooms.

What’s the difference between a cross-cut shredder and a strip-cut shredder?

• The biggest difference between a cross-cut shredder and a strip-cut shredder is shred size. Cross-cut shredders cut paper in two directions to create a smaller shred that’s harder to reassemble. This takes more time and increases cost. Strip-cut shredders cut paper in one direction to create strips that are easier to reassemble. This takes less time and decreases cost.

Can I rent a shredder or buy my own?

• Purchasing your own shredder can be costly, time-consuming, and riskier than industrial shredders. Renting an industrial shredder is often more cost-efficient, secure, and environmentally friendly. Learn more about shredder rentals to make the right decision for your needs.

MOBILE SHREDDING

What is mobile shredding?

• Mobile shredding involves a mobile shred truck that comes to your location to shred your files onsite as you watch. You’ll receive a certificate of destruction after the service is complete.

What is the difference between onsite and offsite shredding?

• Onsite shredding involves a mobile shred truck that comes to your location to shred your files onsite as you watch. Offsite shredding safely transports documents to a secure offsite shredding facility for destruction.

What types of materials can be shredded with mobile shredding?

• Mobile shredding is designed to handle confidential documents, including paper files, legal documents, financial records, medical files, and more. Verify with your provider if you have any specific materials you’re concerned about.

Is there a minimum amount of documents required for mobile shredding services?

• Mobile shredding services are flexible to accommodate varying quantities of documents. From small amounts of documents to bulk shredding projects, our network of certified providers can tailor their services to meet your needs.

Can I schedule recurring mobile shredding services?

• Yes, many providers offer recurring shredding services based on your schedule and document destruction needs. Discuss your requirements with your service provider to set up a schedule that works for you.

Do you offer onsite shredding services for large quantities of documents?

• Yes, some shredding service providers offer onsite shredding services where a mobile shred truck comes to your location to shred your files onsite as you watch. This allows for immediate and secure onsite destruction of your documents.

Will I receive a certificate of destruction with mobile shredding?

• Yes, mobile shredding providers issue a certificate of destruction. Once shredding is complete, you’ll receive a document that confirms and serves as proof that any sensitive information has been securely destroyed and disposed of in compliance with state and federal privacy laws.

OFFSITE SHREDDING

What is offsite shredding?

• Offsite shredding involves a secure truck that comes to pick up and transport your documents to an offsite shredding facility for destruction. Your documents are typically shredded in large volumes using industrial-grade shredding equipment. Most providers send a certificate of destruction after the service is complete.

What is the difference between onsite and offsite shredding?

• Onsite shredding involves a mobile shred truck that comes to your location to shred your files onsite as you watch. Offsite shredding safely transports documents to a secure offsite shredding facility for destruction.

Is offsite shredding secure?

• Yes, offsite shredding is highly secure. Privacy is a priority for Chicago Shredding Services and our partner network. Our certified shredding partners follow strict chain-of-custody procedures to ensure the shredding process is fully confidential. We only work with shredding professionals who are compliant with all relevant shredding laws, regulations, and industry best practices.

What security measures are in place during the transportation of documents?

• The certified offsite shredding providers in our network implement security measures like locked containers, secure transportation vehicles, and tracking systems to ensure the safe and confidential transport and delivery of your documents.

How long does the offsite shredding process take?

• The duration of your offsite shredding project will vary based on location, provider, and the volume of documents you have to shred. If you have specific timeline requirements, communicate these to your provider(s) so they can confirm their capabilities.

Will I receive a certificate of destruction with offsite shredding?

• Yes, most offsite shredding providers issue a certificate of destruction. Once shredding is complete, you’ll receive a document that confirms and serves as proof that any sensitive information has been securely destroyed and disposed of in compliance with state and federal privacy laws.

HARD DRIVE DESTRUCTION

Why is hard drive destruction necessary?

• Hard drive destruction is the safest method of disposal for hard drives. Even after deleting files, data remains on a hard drive until it’s overwritten or destroyed. This increases the risk of data breaches, identity theft, and information leaks. Having your hard drives destroyed professionally ensures your devices are completely destroyed and no one can access your sensitive information.

Why is hard drive shredding better than other methods of data destruction?

• Hard drive shredding ensures complete and irreversible destruction of data.This can provide a higher level of security compared to other methods like degaussing or reformatting.

Can I destroy a hard drive myself?

• Yes, it’s possible to destroy a hard drive yourself using physical methods like drilling holes or smashing it. However, destroying hard drives on your own may not guarantee all data is unrecoverable. We highly recommend working with one of our certified shredding partners. They follow strict chain-of-custody procedures to ensure the shredding process is secure and effective.

What types of electronic devices can be destroyed?

• Our electronic destruction services can securely destroy various electronic devices including hard drives, printers, cell phones, laptops, computers, tablets, SSDs, CDs, DVDs, USB drives, and more.

Is there a minimum quantity of hard drives required for shredding services?

• Hard drive shredding services are flexible to accommodate various quantities. From small batches to large volumes, our network of certified providers can tailor their services to meet your needs.

How long does the hard drive destruction process take?

• The duration of your hard drive destruction project will vary based on location, provider, and the number of hard drives you have to shred. If you have specific timeline requirements, communicate these to your provider(s) so they can confirm their capabilities.

Can I combine hard drive destruction with other document or data destruction services?

• Yes, you can combine hard drive destruction with other services (but note that not all providers can complete combined services onsite). Many of our certified partners offer combined services like document shredding and hard drive destruction to streamline your data destruction needs.

Can you support data center decommissioning and hard drive destruction for large-scale projects?

• Yes, we’ll match you with certified service providers that can scale to meet the demands of data center decommissioning and large-scale electronic data destruction projects.

Will I receive a certificate of destruction for hard drive shredding?

• Yes, hard drive shredding providers issue a certificate of destruction. Once shredding is complete, you’ll receive a document that confirms and serves as proof that any sensitive information has been securely destroyed and disposed of in compliance with state and federal privacy laws.