What Happens to Your Paper After it’s Shredded?
Paper shredding seems like a very basic concept. Paper is passed through sharp shredding machines and slashed until very small matter is created. Right? Well, there’s a little more that goes on with a shredding service. At Legal Shred, we believe in education and helping our customers understand how our services work. Here is a closer look at what happens with your paper after it’s been shredded.
First, a pickup of your paperwork is scheduled and perhaps you’ll even watch the large machine or truck process it all into tiny shreds. But that’s not where it ends.
Next, it must be readied for recycling. After a long process of being baled into large bundles, it is then off to a paper processing plant.
In order for any paper matter to be recycled, it must be first turned into that matter. For this to occur, it is combined with water and chemicals so that the paper fibers break down and become pulp substance that can be compressed and reused again in a new product such as toilet paper, tissues, and other recycled papers.
One thing to keep in mind is that there are factors that could slightly change how this process happens. This depends on the data contained on the paper waste as well as any legal compliance needs for its disposal. These regulations may call for incineration after shredding or if it qualifies for repurposing for new paper products as described above, the recycling steps are taken.
In addition to security requirements, protecting the environment with less paper waste and more recycling is important today. Statistics show that the average American creates about 4.43 pounds of trash per day, and about 30 percent of that is from paper!
To put it into further perspective, recycling one ton of office paper can save 17 trees, 7,000 gallons of water, 463 gallons of oil, and 3 cubic yards of landfill space. The urgency is surely great. It’s time to get serious about paper shredding.
Legal Shred is here to help you with all your shredding and disposal needs. If you need pick-up services for your facility, or want to learn more about what happens to your paper after it is shredded, give us a call today!
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
- What are the Warning Signs of Identity Theft?
- What Are Identity Monitoring Services and Do You Need Them?
- Don’t Buy Your Child Internet-Connected Smart Toys Without Reading This
Service Areas: New York Shredding; Long Island Shredding; New Jersey Shredding; Connecticut Shredding and more!