Is Shredded Paper Recyclable?

Is shredded paper recyclable? Yes! The answer may seem obvious, but unlike conventional paper, recycling shredded paper works differently.

Recycling shredded paper can be a nightmare for some facilities because many recycling centers are ill-equipped to deal with shredded paper. Plus, there is the risk of contamination, with tiny pieces of glass from the shredding filters making their way into the resulting waste.

However, the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) confirmed that shredded paper is recyclable, but it requires a specialist recycling operation to dispose of it effectively. In this guide, we discuss what to do with shredded paper and the best way to recycle shredded paper.

Guidelines for Recycling Shredded Paper

Americans have become incredibly adept at paper recycling. It’s estimated that the paper recycling rate is 68%, surpassed only by cardboard at 93%. However, shredded paper represents a continuing challenge, with businesses relying on shredding to dispose of sensitive documents securely.

Generally, whether you can recycle shredded paper depends on your area. Most conventional recycling centers lack the specialist equipment to handle shredded paper.

Examples of guidelines businesses may have to look up:

• Type of shred, such as strip-cut or multi-cut.
• Bag color.
• Type of bag knots.
• Where to take shredded paper.

The goal is to ensure your shredded paper is sent to a dedicated facility with the equipment to handle it and secure your shredded paper so that it doesn’t get into the wrong hands.

Why You Should Shred and Recycle Business Documents Properly

Since the proper disposal of shredded paper is more complicated for businesses, why should you shred your documents in the first place?

Shredding sensitive documents is essential for data security. Although many companies have digitized most of their data, paper documents remain essential to how businesses operate. Unfortunately, it also poses a potential data breach threat because these documents may contain sensitive information, such as customer or financial information.

Here’s why you must shred documents that contain sensitive information:

• Prevent Data Breaches – Data breaches don’t have to be digital. Criminals can dig around in your garbage and pick out documents containing sensitive information that could be used against your company.
• Protect Your Clients and Employees – All it takes is a name, address, or Social Security number to commit identity theft. Shredding ensures that discarded documents cannot be reassembled with the information intact.
• Compliance – It’s your legal duty to protect sensitive information in your records. Some industries have additional compliance duties backed by legislation, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Paper shredding is a vital security measure required by every business that maintains sensitive information in its physical records. Disposing of shredded documents can be a hassle, but a data breach threatens your business.

Benefits of Proper Document Disposal for Businesses

Proper document disposal is crucial for businesses because, without it, you’re increasing your risk exponentially. Customers are more concerned with privacy than ever, and suffering a data breach could destroy your hard-won reputation in minutes.

Some of the benefits of investing in document destruction include:

• Reduced risk of identity theft.
• Compliance with data protection regulations like HIPAA and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
• Maintain client trust.
• Mitigate the risk of a widescale data breach.
• Make recycling your documents simple.

Risks of Improper Document Disposal

Is shredded paper recyclable in-house? Technically, you can manage the shredding process yourself, but this isn’t recommended.

In an attempt to save money, you may turn to the office shredder, but this doesn’t provide the complete document destruction you expect. Most shredded paper from non-commercial shredders can be reassembled with the information intact.

Some of the risks of seeing this happen to your business include:

• Financial Loss – Whether through a loss of business or fines for non-compliance with data protection regulations, your business could lose thousands for a single breach. For example, Meta was fined a record $1.3 billion for GDPR violations in 2023.
• Legal Problems – In some cases, business owners can be held criminally liable for data breaches if they were found to have been unduly negligent. This could even result in jail time if the offense was significant enough.
• Reputational Damage – Consumers have made it clear that they will walk away from businesses that fail to protect their privacy. Major data breaches may result in lost business you’ll never get back.

Organizations often underestimate the consequences of not disposing of documents properly. All it takes is a simple mistake to open the gates to your company’s innermost secrets, which could threaten your brand’s future.

How to Recycle Shredded Paper

Can you recycle shredded paper? You can and the uses for shredded paper extend to everything from packaging to kitty litter. Knowing how to recycle paper shreds enables your company to back up its green credentials and comply with your locality’s rules on shredded paper.

So, how should businesses go about it?

Your municipality will set the terms of engagement. Many municipalities place a flat-out ban on curbside pickup of shredded paper. If your municipality processes shredded paper, can you put shredded paper in the recycling bin? Generally, no, as it can’t be processed in the same recycling machines as other waste.

Municipalities that do accept shredded paper will often ask that it be separated from the rest of your recycling. This could also mean using a specific color bag.

If your municipality doesn’t accept shredded paper, you may need to look for a local drop-off center at a dedicated facility. These centers work with specialized recycling facilities that specifically process shredded paper.

Use of Bags for Collection

Municipalities that accept shredded paper will often have specific bag requirements. Should shredded paper be recycled in any old bag? The answer is no.

Most municipalities that accept shredded paper will ask that it be placed in a clear plastic bag so that it’s obvious what’s inside and not accidentally thrown in with other recyclables. Some businesses may even opt for paper bags or cardboard boxes to make things simpler for everyone.

Always defer to the rules of where you live regarding containers for shredded paper.

Where to Recycle Shredded Paper

Figuring out how to get rid of shredded paper can be difficult because not every area has as many options. However, you’ll be surprised at how many options businesses have in this day and age.

Here are three places you might come across:

Partnering With Shredding and Recycling Services

Alternatively, why waste time Googling “shredded paper recycling near me” when you can have someone else handle it instead? Professional shredding and recycling services connect your document destruction needs with your desire to recycle.

Working with a professional team that can provide bulk shredding and disposal services enables you to comply with data protection regulations without lifting a finger. Some of the other benefits include:

• Save money in the long run.
• Get the highest standard of destruction for your paper documents.
• Have peace of mind of knowing that you’re in full compliance by working with a certified disposal company.
• Improve your green credentials.
• Gain more productivity by outsourcing the issue.

Find a Facility to Shred and Recycle Your Documents Near You

Partner with California’s largest private data storage and management company for all your document shredding and recycling needs. With GPS-tracked trucks and background-checked employees, we have access to the highest standard of shredder, enabling you to fulfill your security requirements at a fraction of the price.