5 Things You Didn’t Know About Product Destruction Services

When you hear the word “destruction,” you may automatically think the worst. After all, you spend your days working to protect your important documents — not destroy them.

This may be true in some cases, with the important exception of items in your office or workplace that are old or outdated. After all, if certain pieces of equipment or sensitive documents have reached the end of their lifecycle, then it’s actually beneficial to dispose of them in a safe, secure way. This can protect your company by keeping you legally compliant and also promoting better in-office security against theft, loss, or other disasters.

One of the most efficient and reliable ways to ensure proper product destruction is by partnering with an experienced, certified destruction services company. This can help guide you with knowledge about data protection laws and secure destruction practices, keeping your business compliant and organized.

To brush up on how to keep your records management practices on track, here are five things you probably didn’t know about professional product destruction services:

1. A wide range of products can (and should) be securely destroyed.

   1. When the data, documents, or other products are no longer needed for business purposes, then it’s time to dispose of them. This includes a range of products, including hard drives, diskettes, microfiche, credit cards, ID badges, x-rays, and even pill bottles. Whether for a small business, a medical practice, or a law firm, destroying these items not only frees up space in your office, but helps keep you compliant and protected against disasters like theft and fire hazard.

2. Industrial processes improve outcomes.

   2. You may be familiar with in-home or desktop shredders for document destruction. However, this type of equipment is not recommended for large commercial jobs, and is certainly not designed to destroy anything other than paper documents. Instead, industrial shredding, grinding and disintegration equipment can completely destroy sensitive magnetic media as well as the usual paper documents, ensuring more efficient outcomes overall.

3. You can reduce your overall environmental impact.

   3. Did you know that many destroyed metals and plastics can be recycled? In case you’re afraid of dumping more trash into the landfill, rest assured that many products can be recycled. Partnering with a professional destruction services company can often handle this step for you.

4. All the logistics are securely managed.

   4. When you have to dispose of documents or products yourself, you have the added challenge of organizing and transporting all the parts, papers, and equipment safely. Relying on product destruction services means you can know all drivers are trained and screened with rigorous background checks, and that transportation is tracked by GPS while picking up your items and bringing them back for incineration or shredding. This way, all of the logistics leading up to the actual product destruction are secure.

5. Certified services can keep you compliant.

   5. When you work in industries like finance and  healthcare, it’s especially important that you keep excellent records and maintain compliance according to the law. Companies certified by the National Association for Information Destruction (NAID) can ensure compliance with data protection laws such as FACTA, HIPAA, and Sarbanes Oxley.

When you need guidance on properly disposing products, partnering with an established product destruction partner can save you time and headache while producing better, more efficient outcomes. After all, with state-of-the-art shredding, grinding and disintegration equipment, these companies can destroy almost any outdated or damaged products that no longer serve you. Learn more about product destruction services for your business.