01 Nov The Cost of Using an In-House Shredder
Many companies feel that an in-house shredder is a more financially responsible option for document destruction than utilizing a secure shredding service. However, while there is a set cost for a shredding service, there are hidden costs associated with in-house shredding. Today, we explore the costs associated with choosing an in-house shredding process over a secure shredding service like Greenway.
Average Shredder Prices
The easiest cost to define when considering an in-house shredder over a shredding service is the actual cost of the machinery. Dependent on the size of your company and the amount of paper your organization utilizes, there are a variety of shredders to choose from. Some are able to destroy other materials as well including credit cards, CDs, or floppy discs. Here are some of the most common types of shredders for in-house shredding and their costs (source):
6-Sheet Cross-Cut Shredder
This is the most economical and basic of all the shredder choices, costing only around $30. They are ideal for home-use as well as use by small businesses. However, because of their basic structure, excessive use of these shredders can cause jams and overheating, making them a sub-par choice for medium to large companies.
Heavy-Duty Micro Shredder
This kind of shredder can handle small electronics (CDs and floppy discs), as well as paper and credit cards. Typically, they cost around $750 and offer heightened security from a more simplistic cross-cut shredder. However, it can be extremely important to complete routine maintenance to keep these shredders performing at top-notch levels.
Industrial Shredder
While this title can speak to a wide range of machines, industrial shredders are typically used for large corporations or by shredding service companies. Because of this, their price can range from $10,000-$50,000. It often extremely difficult for small or even medium businesses afford this kind of price tag, but these shredders are quick, efficient, and extremely secure on large quantities of paper.
Average Cost of Labor
Especially in today’s short-staffed climate, the cost of lost labor is much higher than just the salary of the workers. When a worker must take time out of their day to shred documents, it can be more costly to the bottom line than many businesses realize. Wasted time on shredding can decrease the time spent on more important projects that could have increased company profitability. This is often a hidden cost that businesses don’t consider when they decide to complete their shredding in-house.
In addition, shredding can take much longer than many businesses realize. Shredding a single file can take several minutes. That doesn’t include removing staples, rubber bands, and paperclips. It can be time consuming and monotonous for workers that have much more important work to complete to have to shred old files and destroy documents in a secure fashion.
Stay Productive with a Shredding Service
Greenway’s document destruction services are designed to protect your company’s sensitive information while practicing environmental responsibility. We offer fast, friendly, and reliable paper shredding. It’s more than our business- it’s our mission and commitment to 100% customer satisfaction. If you are ready to stay productive by utilizing a shredding service, contact us today!