Category: Document Shredding

If you have an outside company pick up your sensitive and confidential documents for shredding offsite, you may need a certification that proves the documents were completely destroyed. At Citizens Business Archives, we offer secure, confidential document shredding services. You can schedule weekly or occasional pickups and store your documents in attractive, locked shred bins until they are ready for destruction. Once documents are shredded at our secure facility, we will weigh your shredding and provide you with a certificate of destruction. Let’s take a look at what a certificate of destruction is and why you need one. 

What Is a Certificate of Destruction? 

A Certificate of Destruction is a document that certifies that everything listed on the document was destroyed according to state and federal regulations. After your documents are shredded at our secure facility, we will weigh the remains and complete a certificate of destruction.

What Is Listed on a Certificate of Destruction? 

What is included on a Certificate of Destruction may vary from one shredding company to another. However, in order for an auditor or regulating agency to accept the document as authentic and reliable, it must contain:

• The name and address of the document destruction or shredding company
• The dates and times the shredding service was provided
• How the documents were destroyed (what method was used)
• A list or general identification of the items that were destroyed
• An official statement written by the employee who completed the shredding or destruction
• The signature of the person who wrote the statement

When Do You Need a Certificate of Destruction? 

You should request a Certificate of Destruction if your business is shredding or destroying documents that contain sensitive, personal, or confidential information that should not be made available to people outside of your organization. State and federal laws regulate the handling and destruction of documents containing personal and private information, including:

• Personal health information (PHI)
• Personal identifying information (PII)
• Information protected by data privacy laws
• Trade or business secrets or intellectual property
• Financial information

Why Do You Need a Certificate of Destruction? 

Certificates of Destruction protect your company and your employees. They certify that the shredding or document destruction company took possession of the documents to be destroyed. They also confirm in writing that your company is in compliance with state and federal regulations. Any documents that your company creates, stores, and destroys need to have a documented chain of custody with a Certificate of Destruction at the end of the paper trail.

Schedule Shred Bin Delivery or Pickup With Citizens Business Archives

If you need secure, reliable document pickup and document destruction in Tucson, AZ, you can count on our team of experienced professionals at Citizens Business Archives. We will provide attractive, locked shred bins that you can store throughout your property to collect confidential and sensitive documents that need to be destroyed. We can then set up a weekly, monthly, or occasional pickup schedule on which we will pick up your shred bins, transport them to our secure facility, and shred them with complete confidentiality and discretion. If you’re ready to learn more about our business records services, call us today at (520) 882-4434 or contact us online.

Document shredding, specifically cross-shredding, is the most efficient, complete, secure, and economical method of destruction for paper records. When you no longer need to store records and the records contain confidential, secure, or private information, investing in document shredding services will ensure they are completely destroyed in accordance with state and federal regulations. At Citizens Business Archives, we offer secure shred bin deliveries to your building. You can collect documents in these bins until they are ready to shred. At that point, we will pick them up, transport them to our secure facility, and cross-shred them. We will provide you with a Certificate of Destruction to confirm they were completely destroyed. But what happens to all of the shredded material at this point? It is recycled! Keep reading to find out more about this process.

Compression Into Bales 

The first step in recycling shredded paper is to compress it into bales. We use specialized equipment called a baler to grab thousands of pieces of shredded paper at once and then compress them into rectangular bales, like hay bales. They are secured with plastic ties and taken to a local paper mill to be recycled. 

Bales Are Mixed With Water and Filtered

At the recycling facility, the bales of shredded paper are mixed with water. This creates a pulp that is easier to break down and manage. The pulp is then forced through a special screen so that glue, dirt, plastic, and other contaminants are filtered out. The paper pulp is then put into specialized vats. The vats spin very quickly so that debris falls to the bottom and can be removed. 

All Ink Is Removed

Next, a special process is used to remove all of the ink from the paper. The paper pulp is put into a vat or tub containing a chemical solution. A jet stream creates air bubbles, which attract the ink molecules. The ink sticks to the air bubbles, the air bubbles rise to the top, and they are then skimmed off. When all ink and color particles are removed from the pulp, it is bleached to turn it white.

The Drying Process Begins

The paper pulp is spread across large wire screens. This allows the pulp to drain and dry out. It is then further dried by being passed through heated rollers, which also flatten and compress the pulp so it is a more uniform size and appearance. 

The Paper Is Embossed and Spooled

The flattened paper pulp is run through a machine called an embosser. Embossing the paper makes it even flatter, and also increases its absorbency. Specialized machines then spool the paper around tubes of cardboard. This creates the rolls that are used in the center of paper towel and toilet paper rolls. 

Can All Shredded Paper Be Recycled?

No, not necessarily. Some document shredding methods create paper strips or fibers that are too weak to be recycled. Very small fibers can jam up the paper recycling machinery or can be blown away, which creates litter. If paper is too fine or thin to be recycled, it can be used for composting. Paper that is coated in wax, plastic, or foil cannot be recycled. Likewise, paper that has food stains or paint cannot be recycled. 

Types of Print and Paper Waste That Can Be Recycled

Not all print waste and paper waste can be recycled. Most recycling facilities can handle specific types of waste and ensure they are turned into another product that will have life outside of its intended purpose. The most common types of print waste that can be recycled are:

• Labels
• Packaging materials
• Printer waste
• Printed materials
• Plain paper
• Brown parcel or packing paper
• Cardboard
• Catalogs
• Christmas cards (without glitter or foil)
• Envelopes
• Leaflets
• Magazines
• Newspapers
• Copier paper

What Is Recycled Paper Turned Into?

It depends on the type and quality of the shredded paper. Shredded paper can’t be turned into high-quality paper products like printer paper. It can be turned into hygiene products like toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, and tissues. It can also be turned into:

• Cardboard
• Brown packing paper
• Holiday cards and wrapping paper
• Egg boxes
• Paper bags, plates, and food cartons
• Insulation
• Kitty litter
• Water bottles

Learn More About Our Document Shredding Services in Arizona

At Citizens Business Archives, we offer secure document shredding services throughout Southern Arizona. After shredding, we provide you with a Certificate of Destruction that confirms that your documents were destroyed according to state and federal regulations. We then provide shredded materials to a local paper mill for recycling. If you’re ready to learn more about our business records services, call us today at (520) 882-4434 or contact us online.

If your company regularly deals with paper or electronic contracts, legal documents, personnel records, health files, or other confidential documents, it’s important to have a comprehensive record retention and record destruction policy. This policy ensures you maintain compliance with local and federal regulations and industry standards. At Citizens Business Archives, we understand that it can be overwhelming and time consuming to consider the lifecycle of each piece of paper in your office. Our knowledgeable, experienced team can help businesses of all sizes and manage the full lifecycle of important business records, from creation to destruction. Take a look at these reasons to outsource your document destruction in Tucson, AZ to our team at Citizens Business Archives.

You Generate a Lot of Original Documents or Paper Records 

Certain industries generate a lot more paper documents and records than others. Original documents, with original signatures, should be preserved in electronic and paper form for a certain number of years, depending on your record retention policy, local and federal regulations, and industry standards. If you have boxes and boxes of records and files sitting around your office, they would be much more secure at an offsite storage facility like the one we have at Citizens Business Archives. Our facility is alarmed, monitored, and protected from fires and environmental hazards. We can maintain the safety of your electronic and paper records until you need to retrieve or destroy them. We also offer secure records destruction and paper shredding services. Some of the industries that we serve include:

• Accounting.
• Financial.
• Legal.
• Education.
• Medical.
• Government.
• Healthcare.
• Retail.
• Personnel.
• Manufacturing.
• Nonprofit.
• Construction.
• Transportation.
• Insurance.

You Are Running Out of Storage Space in Your Office  

If you are running out of storage space in your office, your company is creating more records than you can safely store. Storing records onsite isn’t the most secure option. If your building experiences a flood, fire, or break-in, those records could get destroyed. At Citizens Business Archives, we can help you free up space in your office by storing those records in our secure warehouse. Our record storage facility is access-controlled, fully secure, and protected from flood, fire, and pests. We also offer storage for archival records and electronic records. When your documents age out of your retention policy, we can destroy them securely and confidentially and provide a certificate of destruction.

You Need to Ensure Confidentiality and Information Security  

If you work in an industry that needs to maintain the confidentiality of your records and has a duty to protect information security, storing your records on site is not the best policy. When you store your records at Citizens Business Archives, you can carefully control access to the documents, safeguard sensitive information, and make sure the files don’t get lost or destroyed. Our team adheres to strict confidentiality and privacy clauses, and we are a fully HIPAA-compliant facility. We maintain this confidentiality throughout the life cycle of your documents, from the time they arrive at our warehouse through the time we destroy them for you.

You Have a Record Retention Policy to Follow

All companies should have a record retention policy to maintain the security of certain types of documents that may need to be reviewed in the future for legal, personnel, financial, or tax reasons. If your company generates or has control of these types of documents, you need a secure record storage facility, record retention plan, and document destruction plan:

• Contracts
• Original signed documents
• Estate planning documents
• Legal documents
• Customer and employee data
• Personal health information
• Personal identifying information
• Financial reports
• Tax documents
• Promotional and marketing documents
• Intellectual property

You Want to Maintain Compliance with Regulations and Standards 

All record management plans include a section on record retention. Most records don’t need to be preserved for more than one or two years, but in some industries, you are required to keep specific types of records preserved for 7-10 years. Record retention is also mandated by certain local, federal, and industry regulations. If your record retention policy requires secure record storage and confidential document destruction services, our team at Citizens Business Archives can help. We offer secure record storage, record indexing and inventorying, record retrieval services, and document shredding services.

You Must Ensure Records Are Destroyed Securely and Confidentially

When documents age out of your retention policy, you can’t just toss them in the trash. There are local and federal regulations outlining how they must be destroyed. At Citizens Business Archives, we offer secure, confidential record destruction services. Our document shredding services ensure compliance with all regulations and industry standards, and we can provide a certificate of destruction for your records. 

You Are Aware of the Risks of Poor Document Storage and Destruction Plans

Storing your records onsite and not having record retention and record storage protocols can put your company at risk. Our experienced, knowledgeable team at Citizens Business Archives can mitigate that risk for you and help you avoid theft, damage, or loss of important records. The risks of not properly storing or destroying your records include:

• Legal liability
• Damage to your personal or company reputation
• Financial losses
• Loss of time and efficiency
• Loss of records due to disaster or theft

Learn More About Our Secure Document Destruction in Arizona

If you would like to know more about our business records solutions, contact us today at Citizens Business Archives. We have a secure, climate-controlled warehouse space for storage of critical documents and business records. We also offer document indexing and inventorying and document retrieval. At the end of each document’s lifespan, we can provide confidential, secure document destruction services in Tucson, AZ that ensure compliance with all regulations and standards. If you’re ready to learn more about our business records services, call us today at (520) 882-4434 or contact us online.

In an era where information security and compliance are major concerns, it’s never been more important to have a reliable document shredding service when you need to dispose of sensitive information. Whether it’s protecting sensitive information or following regulatory requirements, the right document shredding services make a major difference. Citizens Business Archives is here to help you determine which factors to consider when choosing a document shredding service. There are several key aspects you should consider to ensure your sensitive information is handled correctly and legally.

Understands Compliance Laws

A reliable shredding service understands and adheres to compliance laws. This is particularly important for industries that are heavily regulated, such as healthcare, finance, and legal. For example, in healthcare, compliance with HIPAA regulations is essential for local practices, as they have access to sensitive patient information. Your chosen shredding service should have a thorough understanding of these laws as they relate to document disposal. Citizens Business Archives can ensure that your company remains compliant while disposing of sensitive information.

Experienced & Trained Staff

The efficiency and reliability of a shredding service largely depend on the expertise of its staff. Look for a company that prides itself on having experienced and well-trained personnel. These professionals should be knowledgeable about compliance requirements and the sensitivity of the documents they handle. The staff’s expertise ensures that your documents are handled securely and disposed of properly. We’ll minimize the risk of any information being breached or leaked.

Full-Service Company

Opt for a full-service shredding company like Citizens Business Archives, which manages every step in the document disposal process. This includes collecting documents from your premises, transporting them securely, shredding them in a controlled environment, and recycling the shredded material. A full-service approach streamlines the process and minimizes the risk of information leakage at any point during the disposal chain. You can be sure that your documents are being handled by our experienced professionals at absolutely every step of the process. 

Certified Destruction

Certified destruction is another key factor for your shredding company of choice. This means the company follows a shredding process that meets or exceeds industry standards and provides a Certificate of Destruction upon completion. This certificate is your proof that the documents have been destroyed in compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. It serves as an important piece of documentation for audit trails and compliance verification.

Contact Citizens Business Archives for Secure Document Shredding Today

Choosing the right document shredding service is key to protecting your sensitive information. A service that understands compliance laws, boasts experienced and trained staff, offers full-service capabilities, and provides certified destruction is ideal. With companies like Citizens Business Archives leading the way, you can be confident that your document shredding requirements are in safe and capable hands. Get in touch with us today to get started!

Creating a comprehensive document retention and destruction policy for your company ensures all records are safely and securely stored or destroyed in compliance with Arizona legislation. If you own or manage a business that handles private, sensitive, and confidential data, it’s even more important that you partner with a reputable, trustworthy document destruction company. At Citizens Business Archives, we create strong working relationships with our clients and work closely with them to understand and comply with their document destruction policies. We offer secure document storage and certified document shredding processes in Arizona to businesses of all sizes in all industries. We have decades of experience working with companies in the medical, legal, educational, and financial industries that need certified sensitive document destruction. Take a look at our tips for creating a document destruction policy, and how we can help you adhere to it. 

Identifying Your Records and Media

You can’t create a document retention and destruction plan without fully understanding the documents and records you work with every day, and how they are currently stored. You will need to consider original documents as well as reproductions and copies, including electronic or scanned copies. At Citizens Business Archives, we offer robust document indexing and we use a state-of-the-art barcoding process and computerized inventory system to track all records you place in our Arizona document storage warehouse. 

Evaluating Record Retention Periods 

Your document retention periods are likely going to be dictated by Arizona legislation or federal law. Tax documents, healthcare documents, human resources documents, and certain financial documents have a specific time period they need to be retained in a physical or electronic format. Once you determine how long each type of document should be retained, you will need to schedule document destruction for records outside that retention period. Our inventory system at Citizens Business Archives allows you to track the retention period for key documents and schedule secure document destruction in a timely manner.

Developing a Plan for the Creation, Distribution, Storage, and Retrieval of Records

Your document retention policy must address the creation, distribution, storage, and retrieval of records. Outlining the document lifecycle will make it easier to inventory and track your documents so that you have a reliable chain of custody. At Citizens Business Archives, we offer secure document storage in Arizona, and pickup and delivery services for documents of all types. 

Developing a Plan for Secure Destruction of Records

Document destruction is a key element of any document retention policy. Documents that are no longer needed and that you are not legally obligated to retain should be securely and completely destroyed. At Citizens Business Archives, we offer customizable certified document destruction in Arizona. We will provide you with secure shredding bins where you can collect documents that need to be destroyed. We will then pick them up, transport them to our secure facility, cross-shred them, and provide you with a certificate of destruction. This maintains a documented chain of custody for your records. We can also provide document shredding and electronics record destruction for documents you have in our storage facility. 

Partner With Us for Document Storage and Destruction in Arizona

When you partner with our team at Citizens Business Archives for document storage and destruction in Arizona, you are getting an experienced, reliable, and proactive team of experts who will work closely with you to implement your records retention and destruction policy. We will help you make your business more efficient, productive, and compliant. Call us today at (520) 882-4434 or contact us online.

In Arizona, all official records that no longer have any legal, fiscal, historical, or administrative value must be destroyed according to approved methods: a shredder used in-house, or an outside document destruction vendor. At Citizens Business Archives, we are very familiar with all state legislation controlling the destruction of documents. Our team stays on top of the latest news and trends in the industry so that we can be sure we’re always giving our clients the most valuable services possible. When you choose us as your document destruction company in Arizona, you can be confident that your records will be securely destroyed while maintaining necessary confidentiality. Take a look at the factors you should consider when choosing a document destruction company, and why Citizens Business Archives is such a wise investment. 

Scheduled Shredding Services

Choosing a shredding company that offers scheduled shredding services in Arizona will help you maintain business efficiency and will also make it easier for employees to guarantee that documents that need to be destroyed are destroyed as soon as possible. At Citizens Business Archives, we will drop off shred bins at your location, and we have many different types of shredding bins to choose from. You can contact us for on-demand pickup services or set up a weekly or monthly schedule that meets your needs. When we pick up your shred bins, we will transport them directly to our secure facility. 

Secure Shredding Methods

Some shredding methods are more secure than others. In order to maintain compliance with record destruction legislation in Arizona, you will need to confirm the shredding methods your shredding company uses. At Citizens Business Archives, we use a cross-cut shredding method. This makes it impossible for anyone to get any information from your documents after they are shredded. 

Destruction of More Than Just Paper Records

It’s very likely that at some point in the course of business you will need electronic records destroyed. Electronic records are not printed out on paper, but are stored on hard drives, flash drives, discs, etc. You want to choose a shredding company in Arizona that can destroy electronic records safely, securely, and completely. At Citizens Business Archives, we offer secure, certified destruction of electronic records as well as paper records. 

Documented Chain of Custody

Chain of custody confirms the movement of your company records and who had possession of them at what time. If you are shredding sensitive, private, and confidential records, you may not even want your own employees looking at some of them. At Citizens Business Archives, our employees are highly trained to maintain security and confidentiality through each step of the shredding process. At no point will we look at any of the items you are giving us to destroy. We will pick up your locked shredding bins and return them to you with the lids still locked. We will then provide you with a Certificate of Destruction when shredding is completed. We also follow all HIPAA guidelines. 

Additional Services Offered

The document shredding company that you choose should be able to handle your primary record destruction needs in Arizona. However, you may end up needing additional services in the future, and choosing a company that offers services beyond paper shredding means you won’t have to shop around for another company. At Citizens Business Archives, we offer additional services that improve the convenience, efficiency, and security of our clients’ businesses:

• Climate-controlled record and document storage
• Media and electronic record storage
• Computer-indexed and bar-coded records inventories

Personalized Client Services

As a business owner, you understand how quickly things can change in your company. You need a document shredding company that is responsive and excels at communication so that you can remain confident they can meet your changing needs and goals. At Citizens Business Archives, we will work closely with you to understand your needs and create a personalized plan that makes your life easier and makes your business run more smoothly. 

Schedule a Consultation With Citizens Business Archives Today

If you have questions about our record storage or document shredding services in Arizona, contact us today. We are happy to set up a consultation to discuss our services, and we have a ‘no appointment necessary’ policy for potential clients who want to visit our facility and learn more about our process. To learn more or request an estimate for document shredding services, call us today at (520) 882-4434 or contact us online.

Document shredding is a key element of business security, and ensures you remain in compliance with local and federal rules and regulations. Shredding documents that contain sensitive, private, or proprietary information about your customers, business, and employees will guarantee the information doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. If you don’t have a secure, reliable method of document destruction for your business, you may risk fraud, theft, reputational damage, and fines for lack of compliance. Take a look at why document shredding is so important for your business.  

Protect Your Data, Customers, & Employees

You might not realize how many of the documents floating around your office contain sensitive or private data. Documents that contain personal or identifying information like names, addresses, dates of birth, and social security and driver’s license numbers, must be securely destroyed. You also need to destroy documents containing salary information, employee reviews or assessment, and other payroll and financial information. If these documents aren’t securely destroyed, you risk a data breach. If this protected or personal information gets into the wrong hands, it risks the safety and privacy of those affected and it will also do irreversible damage to the reputation of your business.

Prevent the Loss of Proprietary Company Information

In addition to sensitive employee and customer data, the documents in your office might contain private proprietary data about your business. This could include financial projections, information about future plans for your business, patent and idea information, intellectual property, and more. If this information gets into the wrong hands, it could compromise the integrity of your business. Your investors may lose faith or trust in you, employees won’t feel protected, and your ideas will no longer be your own. Document shredding will ensure the secure destruction of proprietary business information, and it will reduce the risk of employee theft and data breaches.

Maintain Compliance With Regulations

Businesses are required to comply with certain local and federal rules and regulations regarding document destruction and protection of private data. All documents that contain confidential, private, or sensitive data must be securely destroyed. Document shredding is the fastest, most cost-effective, and most secure method of destroying confidential documents. You can avoid costly fines and make sure you pass security audits by creating a comprehensive record and document destruction plan. Hiring an experienced, reputable document shredding company will give you peace of mind and allow you to prove a clear chain of custody for the documents being destroyed. 

Preserve Space & Organization

Document storage takes up a lot of space, and requires constant review and monitoring to ensure everything stays secure and organized. If you don’t want to commit to the time and effort it takes to maintain secure document storage, you can invest in scheduled document pick-up or onsite document shredding services. You will free up space, and you won’t need to worry about inventorying or monitoring onsite document storage.

If you need reliable, efficient commercial document shredding services in Southern Arizona, contact us at Citizens Business Archives. We offer secure warehouse storage space for documents and records, as well as document shredding and indexing. Call us today at (520) 882-4434 or contact us online.