Buying a shredder and handling document destruction in-house may seem like a smart, cost-saving move. But many businesses don’t realize the hidden costs, risks, and inefficiencies that come with DIY document shredding.
From wasted employee time to compliance gaps and maintenance headaches, internal shredding can create more problems than it solves.
In this post, we’ll compare in-house shredding vs. professional shredding services, and explain why outsourcing often saves money, boosts security, and protects your business long-term.
1. Labor Costs Add Up Quickly
Every time an employee walks over to a shredder, waits for it to warm up, clears a jam, or feeds in paper sheet by sheet, you’re losing valuable work hours.
Let’s break it down:
- Average time spent shredding per week: 2–3 hours
- Average hourly wage for admin staff: $20–$30/hour
- Annual shredding cost in labor alone: $2,000–$4,000+ per employee
Multiply that across departments, and internal shredding starts to look expensive fast.
Professional shredding services provide locked bins and scheduled pickups—no time wasted.
2. Increased Risk of Human Error
DIY shredding relies on employees to:
- Recognize what documents need shredding
- Shred consistently and correctly
- Not accidentally throw sensitive documents in the trash
All it takes is one mistake—a file left at a desk or tossed in the recycling—for a data breach to occur. Professional shredders are trained in privacy laws and follow strict protocols.
3. Compliance Isn’t Optional (Or Easy)
If your business is regulated by HIPAA, GLBA, SOX, or FACTA, document destruction must be secure and auditable.
Most in-house shredding fails to meet compliance standards due to:
- Lack of a shredding log or chain of custody
- No Certificate of Destruction
- Outdated or low-security shredders
- Inconsistent destruction policies
A professional shredding provider will help you stay compliant with documented, auditable, and secure destruction processes.
4. Shredder Maintenance Is a Hidden Cost
Inexpensive office shredders aren’t designed for high-volume use. Over time, you’ll face:
- Jams and breakdowns
- Costly repairs
- Replacement parts or full machine replacements
- Time spent troubleshooting
Shredders also need to be cleaned and oiled regularly, a maintenance task often forgotten until it’s too late.
Compare that to outsourcing: One invoice. One vendor. No hassle.
5. Security and Confidentiality Are Vulnerable
Most in-house shredders produce strip-cut or cross-cut paper, which can be reassembled. High-security standards, like those set by the Department of Defense, require micro-cut shredding or pulverization.
Professional shredding companies use industrial-grade equipment that ensures:
- Total destruction of sensitive information
- Secure transportation with locked bins and GPS-tracked vehicles
- Signed Certificates of Destruction for your records
6. Lack of Documentation Can Hurt in an Audit or Lawsuit
If your business is audited or faces a legal dispute, you may be asked to show:
- How and when certain documents were destroyed
- Proof that disposal was secure and compliant
- Your document retention and destruction policy
Without a formal record from a certified shredding provider, you may fail the audit or lose legal protection.
7. DIY Shredding Doesn’t Scale
As your business grows, so does your volume of paper and sensitive files. What once took an hour now takes several, cutting into employee productivity or causing staff to cut corners.
Professional shredding scales with your business. Whether you need weekly pickups or a one-time purge, the right vendor can handle it, efficiently and securely.
Real-World Example: DIY vs. Pro Shredding Cost Breakdown
| Cost Category | DIY Shredding | Professional Service |
| Labor (monthly) | $200–$400+ | $0 |
| Equipment purchase | $150–$600 per shredder | $0 |
| Maintenance/repair | $100–$300 annually | $0 |
| Compliance documentation | Manual, error-prone | Included |
| Destruction level | Strip or cross-cut | Industrial-grade, compliant |
| Audit readiness | Weak | Strong |
Shredding Shouldn’t Be a DIY Project
While in-house shredding may seem convenient or cheap at first glance, it often leads to:
- Wasted staff time
- Unplanned maintenance costs
- Compliance vulnerabilities
- Greater risk of data breaches
Contact us to switch to a professional shredding service that offers cost savings, security, and peace of mind, so your team can stay focused on what matters.
