Blog | R4 Services | Chicago Shredding Destruction Services and Records Management

Document Shredding: How Does it Work?

3/1/2018

Document Shredding and How it Works

Document shredding isn't just a great way to clear space -- it helps you stick to a document retention schedule, keeps you compliant with industry regulations and can help you avoid legal hot water. You've finally decided to make room in the office and destroy unneeded records. But some of them have sensitive information attached -- what do you do? R4 offers two types of document destruction: offsite and on-site. It's up to you to decide which best suits your needs.

On-Site
No matter where the destruction takes place, the main takeaway is convenience. R4 will come to you to do one-time large purges. After you sort through your inventory and figure out what you don't need, simply order one of our shred trucks and we'll come to you. You can watch as we confidentially destroy your outdated materials right in your parking lot. It's fast, convenient and eliminates the need for you to travel distances with sensitive information.

Off-Site
There are two ways in which we'll conduct off-site document destruction for you. The first is leave-behind destruction bins. Order one or more (depending on the volume of information you need disposed) and we'll bring it to your facility. It will sit in your office and as you come across materials to shred, simply place them in the bin as if it were a waste basket. Periodically, our representatives will come to your office to collect the bins, securely dispose of their contents, and replace the bin. Think of it as a trash service for your most sensitive documents.

The other way is via wheeled destruction bins. They're perfect for one-time purges of low volume. Simply order them from our website, throw in what you don't need and we'll wheel it off to our warehouse -- worry-free.

After any type of document destruction, we'll issue a certificate of completion after the job is done.

Media Types
Our facilities are equipped to deal with virtually any type of media:

Computer tapes
Disks
Video/audio recordings
Microfilm
Microfiche
X-Rays

So no matter what industry you work in, we can help purge your outdated records. R4 is dedicated to being reliable, resourceful, responsive and reasonable. Contact us today if you're ready to begin purging!

How Often Should You Destroy Your Documents?

11/21/2017

Document Destruction in Chicago

Document destruction is crucial to the efficiency and organization of your company. But not knowing when to toss out records leads to unnecessary hoarding and ultimately leads to disorganization. You don’t want to throw away something you could need in the near future, but do you really need those boxes of 10 year old pay stubs? Creating and maintaining a retention schedule will fix a lot of problems -- so how often should you destroy documents?

Well, the answer is: there’s not just one answer. It’s dependent on your industry, the type of document and its sensitivity. It’s crucial to consult your legal department as well as document destruction professionals like R4 Services in order to plan out an effective retention schedule. However, here we’ll go over some common document types and how long you should wait before disposing of them.

Documents that aren’t frequently renewed or that have to do with your business’ integrity are important to keep.

Pension Plans
Board Minutes
Permits
Shareholder agreements
Social security cards
Birth certificates
Death certificates
Business license
Property records
Passports

Throw out frequently renewed documentation. Note that it’s important to keep updated versions of the following.

Insurance policies

Retirement plan documents
Social security statements
Tax documents (about 7 years old)
Credit card receipts/statements

Keeping documents too long or disposing of them too quickly can potentially both land you in legal hot water. It’s a bit of a balancing act and the key is to find the sweet spot right in the middle. R4 Services’ records experts will help your company develop a retention schedule that works best for you. Find out more about our services.

On-Site vs. Off-Site Document Shredding: Which is Right For You?

11/3/2017

Purging documents that have aged past their retention dates is one of the smartest organizational moves you can make. It saves space and keeps you efficient and organized. Your instinct may be to hoard documents just in case, but it isn’t necessary and can even leave you open to legal issues. Once you’ve finally reconciled with yourself that you DON’T need that pile of 15 year old receipts, it’s time decide which is right for you -- on-site or off-site document destruction. They each have their benefits, which we’ll go over right here, it’s just a matter of practicality and your business’ needs.

“Take ‘em away, boys!”
Off-site document destruction is an easy, secure and low-effort way to regularly purge your sensitive and outdated documents. It’s perfect if you don’t have the space or time to have a large shredding truck parked outside your business, or if you have a steady but low-volume stream of paperwork that gets regularly disposed of. We actually offer a few off-site options:

Leave-Behind Destruction Bins: We’ll bring secure bins that will stay in your office, like an extra trash can. Simply toss the documents you wish to destroy into it and we’ll collect it periodically, transporting it to our secure disposal facilities. It allows for continuous service without you even having to pay attention. Out of sight, out of mind as they say.

Wheeled Destruction Bins: If you need a low-volume, one-time purge of documents, we’ll bring secured, wheeled bins to your business. Just throw in what you don’t need and we’ll take it away to our warehouse where it will be securely destroyed.

Coming to You
On-site document destruction has many advantages, the main one being convenience. It’s great for one-time large purges of documents. If you have extra-sensitive material that you want to be SURE is destroyed, this is a great option. You’ll see it happen right in your parking lot -- it’s fast, immediate, and you’ll witness it firsthand. It eliminates the need to transport materials to a shredding facility and we’ll dispose of the destroyed material properly.

R4 Services is equipped to deal with either on-site or off-site document destruction services. We’re also prepared to destroy any type of media -- be it paper, hard drives, or even x-rays. To discuss your options and find out what’s right for you, get in touch today!

The Trick to Recycling Shredded Paper

8/11/2017

As concerns over the environment have increased over the past few years, businesses and residential communities have started more “going green” recycling campaigns to do their part. Just separate the paper from the plastics from the metals and throw them in a bin on the curb. We often think recycling paper is the easiest way to save the planet, since it has a 60% recycling rate. However, where regular paper is fairly simple, shredded paper is complex. That’s right, if you take that sheet of looseleaf and tear it into bits, it suddenly becomes a hassle and even non-recyclable in many places. Many recycling services refuse to accept shredded paper, since it’s highly ineffective at being turned into new paper. It can also clog up recycling machinery at sorting plants. Evidently, the only real way to separate shredded paper from everything else is by hand -- arduous, tedious, and in the end, costly.

So this begs the question: how do you actually go about recycling your shredded paper? You presumably don’t want your identity stolen by a dumpster diver and your credit card statements are nobody’s business but your own. Well, the answer is fairly simple, but not completely obvious:

Separate the shredded paper into a bag. Many communities will take shredded paper as long as it’s in its own receptacle. Just be sure it’s not a plastic bag -- it’ll end up in a landfill, which defeats the purpose of your green efforts.
Check for local shredded paper pickup services. Some places have trucks that will get your shredded nuisance bits, though they may only do it by request.
Communities often host periodic free “shredding days” where the community can bring their scraps to machines specifically designed to handle shredded paper.
Reduce your amount of shredding. If you just want to cover up one line from your bank statement, use a permanent marker to black it out and recycle the paper like you normally do.

Of course, if you don’t want to have to worry about saving the planet, we’ll do it for you. We offer confidential, secure document destruction and disposal services. We do it for an array of different media types: tapes, disks, cartridges, x-rays, HDDs, monitors, film, and of course, paper. We provide you with options that best suit your needs and we’ll make sure your confidential statements have vanished without a trace. Check out our Destruction Services page and give us a call for more information.

What Should Be Shredded? Tips for Shredding Documents at Work and at Home

7/14/2017

“One day I may need this.” We have all had that thought cross our mind as we sift through bank statements, letters, and other important documentation deciding what should stay and what should go. But what is worth saving and what is better off in the shredder? Check out our tips for work and home to keep you organized and safe from identity theft.

Home
Save. Any physical copies of anything related to state or federal matters, including certifications, licenses, or deeds. These are important forms of identification that are typically only valid in their original form and can be a lengthy process to replace. Keeping any proof of warranty for the duration you own the warranted product is essential to insure you receive proper service if the product breaks or malfunctions. A good rule of thumb is, keep anything that would be a hassle to replace causing you to sit on the phone with customer service for hours or go to a government office.

Shred. Tax audits and receipts, home sale, purchase, lease, or improvement documentation should be shredded after 6-7 years. Pay stubs, bank statements, medical bills, and records can be shredded after one year. Everything else, go ahead and shred. To keep your identity safe and secure, shred anything with your name, phone number, address on it, social security number, or banking information on it.

Work
Save. The same rules apply for work as they do at home, if the document is going to be hard to replace, keep it in a safe spot. There are a few extra documents you want to keep an eye out for like union agreements, procedure records, training manuals, bylaws, insurance records, accident reports, claims, legal and important correspondence, copyrights and trademarks, articles or incorporation, and actuarial reports.

Shred. It’s important that for the safety of your business and your employees that you shred employee application forms, ID badges, and records when they leave the business, financial information, branded, damaged or faulty goods, as well as supplier records or information. Some paperwork is best kept for a few years before shredding such as budgets and purchase orders. Use your best judgment.

What Can Stay and What Should Go? A Guide to Document Shredding

5/18/2017

Shredding confidential information

You may have a large pile of documents sitting around, whether it’s in your office or personal documents at home. The pile keeps growing and you just haven’t gotten around to sorting through it. You know it deserves your attention, and that most of it should be shredded, but you’re not exactly sure what can stay and what should go. Here’s your guide to document shredding.

What You Should Keep Forever

There are certain documents that you should keep physical copies of forever:

Social security cards
Birth certificates
Death certificates
Marriage license
Business license
Mortgage documents
Vehicle titles
Passports
Wills, living wills and powers of attorney

You can scan all of the above documents and keep digital copies of them, but overall, if there’s a document that you think is important to keep, then do so. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

What You Should Keep for Now

It’s a good idea to keep the most recent version of the following documents:

Insurance policies
Retirement plan documents
Social security statements
Tax documents

Anything business related should be discussed with legal personnel before you decide to shred it. If you’re in the professional services industry and get audited regularly, you want to be sure you have all the documents that you’ll need to pass the audit.

Your next step is to organize all the files you are keeping in labeled folders and store them securely in boxes or cabinets. From there, you can decide what can be safely shredded, which should be the remainder of your pile. When you’re ready to shred, let us know so that you can properly dispose of your confidential information!

Your Customers, Your Commitment: Why Shredding is Crucial

2/1/2017

In today’s digital age, confidential information is sent and received instantly, and on a daily basis. This means more data is accumulated, resurfaced and accessible than ever before. With so much data floating around, such as payroll records, business documents and customer information, properly shredding documents after they’re no longer needed is crucial to protecting the privacy of your employees and customers. Here’s why you should be committed to shredding sensitive documents and what you need to know to protect your customers:

1. Know your legal obligation.
Information security is under more rigorous legislation today than ever before. When you don’t comply with regulations of properly handling sensitive customer information, penalties may apply. You don’t just have a moral obligation to protect the information of your customers, but you also have a legal duty to securely handle customer data.

2. Protect your customers from identity theft.
Identity theft is a growing problem that all businesses should be aware of and have an action plan to prevent it. Shredding documents will ensure that information will never get in the wrong hands. Your customers and employees are counting on you to securely discard unused documents and protect them from identity theft.

3. Free up office space.
Shredding documents that you no longer need not only protects your customers and employees and meets your legal obligation, but it also frees up office space and helps you to get organized. Spending the time to go through your business documents and customer records will create extra space in your office to focus on other areas of your business.

You owe it to your customers to be responsible with the sensitive information. R4 Services assists clients with effective, secure and confidential document shredding. Ready to get serious about your record management? Visit our website to learn more about our document shredding services.

Document Purging Season: The New Year Means Clearing Out Old Records

1/6/2017

Developing a retention schedule is critical to enhancing your company's security, profitability and regulatory compliance. But it’s also important to review your records annually and decide what can stay, and what can be purged. Just be sure to invest in secure, confidential document shredding services to protect your company’s critical information.

As we turn the calendar to a new year, now is a good time to review old documents and decide which records can be purged.

Before you begin sorting through old documents, make sure you have a retention schedule in place. Without a retention schedule, a company leaves itself exposed to potential legal issues, regulatory non-compliance and unnecessary storage costs.

When reviewing your retention program, consider the risks of keeping records past their legally-required time frame. Depending on your industry, you may be required to keep certain documents for a specified time period, and you may also be legally required to purge the documents after a certain date.

Every organization will come to their own conclusion on the timing of document destruction. It’s important to weigh the risk factors and your litigation strategy, and make the right decision on the timing of purging your company’s records.

Need help with securely destroying your confidential information this year? Let R4 Services help you achieve compliance and reduce costs.

How Investing in Shredding Services Can Ensure Your Confidential Information is Properly Disposed

11/28/2016

You have stacks of paperwork in your office that have been sitting there for months, years or even decades. Most of those documents are out of date or no longer needed. So why not just throw them out? Keep in mind that many of these documents could contain confidential information about your company or your clients. Identity theft is a real threat. Shredding your confidential information can ensure that it’s properly disposed and will help you avoid the threat of identity theft.

Depending on where you live, taking items from the trash could be legal. In states or cities where this is legal, once an item or document is left for trash, ownership of those items are lost. By shredding your important information, you can rest assured that identity thieves are unable to expose you to risks such as fraud, identity theft, harmful publicity, litigation or penalties.

It’s also a wise decision to destroy media that you no longer use, such as tapes of all sizes, disks, CDs, videotapes, cartridges, x-rays, hard drives, monitors and film.

Depending on your industry, document destruction could be (and likely is) the law. You are legally obligated to destroy documents that contain any personal information of your clients.
Additionally, you’re helping the environment by shredding. Your shredded paper can be recycled in several different ways, contributing to a global cause to improve the environment.

It's no secret that more and more information is being generated today. Whether this information be on paper, tape, or other media, properly managing it is critical to control costs, ensure efficiency and maintain compliance and confidentiality. R4 Services assists clients with the effective, secure and confidential management of their paper and non-paper destruction requirements. Visit our Shredding Services page to learn more!

Should Schools Utilize Document Storage Facilities?

2/1/2016

It is no secret that technology is advancing and FAST. Digital files are becoming the norm for storing information, and old paper files may need a place to call home. One example where this conundrum may come into play is within school districts.

Schools are now utilizing digital files and records management, but what about their paper files? Floor and storage space is becoming more of an issue as these paper files regarding students, district mandates, and other confidential documents are piling up and taking up valuable space.

Schools are required to maintain student and personnel files for minimum time periods and these files can occupy large amounts of space. Moving these files off-site not only secures them, opens up additional space, but are also securely destroyed after the set retention rate.

If you work at a school or university, what are your thoughts about storing records off school grounds? Can you think of a space right now where files are taking up space that could be utilized for something else?

Contact R4 Services today with any questions YOU may have about Document Storage.