Why Professional Shredding Services are Superior to DIY Shredding

PLANET SHRED STAFF • December 12, 2025

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Your Office Shredder Isn’t Really Up to The Task

In today’s world of identity theft and data breaches, properly destroying sensitive documents is more important than ever. For businesses, choosing between in-house document destruction (DIY shredding) and professional shredding services can have significant implications. Professional shredding services like PLANET SHRED offer enhanced security, time and cost efficiency, and certified legal compliance, making them the superior choice for safeguarding your business’s sensitive information. Explore the reasons why Professional Information Destruction is the smarter choice.

Understanding Document Destruction

  • DIY Shredding involves employees using office shredders to destroy sensitive documents. While it seems cost-effective, it comes with hidden risks and inefficiencies.
  • Professional Shredding Services involve hiring a specialized company that offers secure, efficient, and legally compliant shredding solutions to handle your document destruction. 

Superior Security & Data Protection

Professional shredding services use industrial-grade equipment that shreds documents into tiny, unreadable particles. This makes it virtually impossible for information to be reconstructed. In contrast, most personal shredders create longer strips or larger crosscuts, which can sometimes be pieced back together. Professional services also follow strict chain-of-custody procedures, ensuring the materials are secure from the moment they’re collected to the moment they’re destroyed.


Time & Labor Savings

DIY shredding can be incredibly time-consuming. Feeding papers one at a time, removing staples, and dealing with paper jams quickly adds up to hours of lost productivity. For businesses, this means employees are spending valuable time destroying documents instead of focusing on their actual work. Professional shredding services handle large volumes of paper quickly and efficiently, freeing up your staff to focus on more important tasks.


Compliance With Privacy Regulations

Many industries are subject to strict privacy laws and regulations that require secure document destruction. Professional shredding companies follow industry best practices to ensure legal compliance. DIY shredding makes it difficult to prove that documents were destroyed properly but professional services provide a Certificate of Destruction, which serves as proof that your materials were securely and legally destroyed.


Cost-Effective for Large Volumes

While a small shredder may seem like a low-cost solution, the hidden expenses quickly add up. Maintenance, replacement of worn-out machines, employee time, and the risk of costly data breaches all make DIY shredding more expensive over time. Professional shredding services charge predictable rates and can handle high volumes without equipment downtime or unexpected costs.


Environmentally Responsible Disposal

Professional shredding companies often partner with recycling facilities to ensure that shredded paper is recycled properly. This reduces landfill waste and supports sustainable business practices. DIY shredding often results in shredded paper being thrown away due to the inconvenience of sorting and recycling properly.


Scalability & Flexibility

Whether you need a one-time purge or ongoing scheduled shredding, professional services can scale to meet your needs. You don’t have to worry about storage space, equipment upgrades, or staffing as your shredding needs grow. DIY methods quickly become impractical as document volume increases.


Peace of Mind

Perhaps the biggest advantage of professional shredding is peace of mind. Knowing that your information has been destroyed securely, legally, and responsibly allows you to focus on running your business without worrying about data leaks or compliance issues.


PLANET SHRED Professional Information Destruction Solutions are the Smart Choice

Choosing between DIY shredding and professional shredding services is an important decision for businesses. While DIY shredding may work for very small amounts of paper, it falls short when it comes to security, efficiency, and legal compliance. Professional shredding services like PLANET SHRED provide a faster, safer, and more reliable way to protect sensitive information, making them the superior choice for safeguarding your business’s sensitive information. Click to contact us or call 732-722-7777 and learn more about how professional shredding can benefit your business and get a free, no-obligation quote today!


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