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Documents your should shred

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Documents your should shred

A strong paper shredding program can help you and your company comply with the various State and Federal Laws. Massachusetts Privacy laws mandate that you protect the private information of your employees, clients and patients. In order to be compliant with the various state and federal laws and protect yourself, stockholders, employees, and customers/patients, you should destroy and shred all confidential and outdated documents.

  • Shred any document that contains confidential material such as designs, proposals, plans, and drafts of such information.
  • Shred any document which could be used for the purpose of identity theft like social security numbers, customer lists, credit applications, tax returns, etc…
  • Shred any document which could cause harm in the hands of criminals or competitors such as canceled checks, price lists, business plans, credit card numbers, etc..

Shred any document which is mandated to be protected by privacy laws such as HIPAA (for health care providers), GLB (for financial industry) or FACTA (for general businesses).  Small list of what should be shredded to protect yourself and your company:

Application for jobs
Audits Documents
Bank Account Data
Bank Reports
Bids & Quotations
Brokerage Reports
Business Projections
Canceled Checks
Classified Information
Client Lists/Files
Competitive Intelligence
Computer Reports
Confidential Letters
Contracts
Correspondence
Credit Card Statements 
Customer Account Lists
Debit Card Numbers
Drivers License Numbers
Employment Information
Engineering Drawing
Executive Letters
Financial Reports
Insurance Policy Info
Inventory Records
Invoices
Legal Documents
Maps & Blueprints
Market Research
Marketing Development
Medical Records
Meeting Minutes
New Product Data
Organization Charts
Outdated Business
Records
Payroll Reports
Personnel Data
Photographs
Presentations Price Lists
Price/Inventory Lists
Product Proposals
Profit & Loss Statements
Proposals and Quotes
Receipts/Invoices
Signatures
Social Security Numbers
Tax Records
Telephone Numbers
X-rays

Always destroy any item, which could cause harm to your business, your employees, your customers, or the general public. The following are some examples of items other than paper, which should be destroyed.

drop-off-shreddingIt was discovered that thieves were stealing the empty and outdated product packages, which had been discarded for various reasons. The thieves filled the packages with inferior product and sold the packages at a flea market. This caused both lost sales and a significant deterioration in the value of the brand name. In more than one case, it was suspected that company employees knew the empty packaging was thrown in the garbage and they took it.

Shred Out Of Date Documents and old Uniforms

Out of date products and documents that are thrown in the trash can come back to haunt you! These items can also be retrieved by dumpster divers and sold on the black market or at flea markets. Uniforms (including private security guard, police, fire, public safety employees), as well as identification badges should be shredded.

The day to day functions of any business will produce a surprising amount of information that could be used against the business by it’s competitors. This list includes; Internal Memos, Drafts of Documents, Quotes, Financial Printouts, Meeting Notes, Employee Records, Pay Stubs, etc.

An estimated $100 billion a year is lost to information thieves! Did you know that there is NO LAW against Dumpster Diving? After your business has disposed of it’s documents, it has no claim to it’s privacy.

Unfortunately, one of the weaknesses of any business is disgruntled employees. Countless new businesses are started by customer lists from an existing business. An easily implemented security plan is the only way to ensure that an upset employee will not make a mistake that they and/or your business could regret for a long time. Put one of our locked bins in your office and this problem is easily solved.

 

Boston Off site shredding

Secure Paper Shredding

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Is your Shredding Secure?

Anyone can claim that they have secure shredding service. How do you really know that your documents and client’s personal information is handled safely and in a secure manner? Do you rely on fancy website or security seals? Or do you rely on someone who has been trusted for all document shredding for over a decade? Don’t take our word for it, see what sets us apart from the other guys when it comes to handling your personal information and confidential documents.

WHAT DOES A+ CERTIFICATION MEAN?

Our company receives an A+ audit certification from local Chamber of commerce, the rating is the highest possible level of security a company can achieve. It measures the process of shredding your documents from the time we take custody of it until it is shredded and recycled.

Our A+ CERTIFICATION:

Neighborhood Parcel received A+ Certification in December of 2011, because of our techniques and dedication to your document security. Some of the reasons why we got certified and received backing from BNBA are because we:

  • Conduct background checks prior to hiring new employees.
  • Conduct a criminal record search on a county-by-county basis in each county the new employee has resided in the previous seven years.
  • Verify employment of new applicants for the previous seven years.
  • Conduct drug screening on new employees at the time of hiring and random drug screening of all employees.
  • Require new employees to sign confidentiality agreements.
  • Require drivers to meet all applicable licensing requirements.
  • Secure all customer materials from unauthorized access before destruction.
  • Ensure all customer materials are contained during file transfer from customer custody to destruction vehicle to prevent loss from wind or other atmospheric conditions.
  • Maintain written policies and procedures for drivers and assisting employees.
  • Require employees to wear uniforms and picture ID badges.
  • Ensure all customer materials remain secured and in the control and custody of our company until destroyed by shredding equipment.
  • Require all our vehicles to meet USDOT regulations and have lockable cabs and cargo areas.
  • Require all paper shredded meets OEM specifications of 5/8” cutter width or less
  • Maintain general liability insurance of $1 million
  • Conduct comprehensive third party background checks on owners and officers of our own company.

Trusted Shredding Service for decades

The most trusted, secure, compliant and cost effective paper shredding services available in the Boston Massachusetts area and throughout Middlesex, Essex Counties. When you combine 100% Secure shredding service with low flat rates, you get the satisfaction of knowing that you got the best value for your money. The Paper shredding process is labor intense and costly, our efficient equipment, routing system and low overhead allow us to compete and beat all other estimates. Guaranteed.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

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Is the shredding process secure?
Yes. Document shredding process takes place in a secured environment. Limited access to storage facility, all employees are screened and undergo criminal background checks regularly. Business is Endorsed by BBB and BNBA Chamber Of Commerce. Public Notary to witness the shredding and signs off the certificate of destruction. The certificate will be mailed to you with 10 days of custody date.

We have an in-house office shredder so why would I need your service?
It is much more cost-effective to deal with us. Amortization of a shredder, as well as labor, maintenance and disposal costs are usually much higher than expected – not to mention the noise, mess and dust produced by an office shredder and the fact that employees need to separate paper, remove paper clips and staples, etc. In fact, we can guarantee a minimum 25% savings when compared to the cost of using your in-house shredder.

We store our records so why do we need a shredding service?
The period of time that business records are stored should be determined by a retention schedule that takes into consideration the records’ usefulness to the business as well as legal requirements. From a risk management perspective, once this period has passed, the only acceptable way of discarding these records is to destroy them using a method that ensures complete destruction. Oftentimes, documenting the exact date and method used for destruction is not only prudent but a legal requirement.

Are the documents Recycled upon destruction?
Yes, we recycle 100% of the shredded documents. CD’s and Non recyclables will get incinerated.

What are your fees?
We know that other companies charge hidden fees from Fuel and environment surcharges to pick up charges. At Neighborhood Parcel, you pay as you go! Simply drop off the documents, you pay by the pound. No fuel or Environment surcharges. We make shredding convenient and affordable. See Shredding Rates

Do I need an Appointment?
No, simply stop by during our store hours and we will be glad to help you. Our office location here.

Do I need to sort the paper?
No. Our employees are trained to quickly and accurately shred the material. Also, you do not need to remove paper clips, staples or binder clips. Our industrial shredder is equipped to handle paper clips and staples.

What method of payment do you accept for the service?
We accept all major credit cards, you will need to complete the Credit Card Authorization form and fax to us Fax Number: 978-851-0531 before we schedule service. A credit card hold of $200.00 will be put on the card and we will settle the transaction when we complete the transaction.

Can I watch my documents be shredded?

Sorry, the actual shredding is done on different days of the week at our industrial plant. We do not allow visitors for liability and security reasons. However, the shredding service is secure and meets the latest MA privacy and HIPAA requirements. A Notarized Certificate Of Destruction can be made available upon request. * Additional fee may apply.

Boston Off site shredding

 

Compare Us

Best Shredding Service

Why are we Boston’s Best Shredding service? The trash is considered by business espionage professionals as the single most available source of competitive and private information from the average business! That’s why more businesses are recognizing their exposure, and need for compliance with State and Federal Privacy Laws.

Here’s what we offer:

  • Cost Savings Service: For most businesses, and even individuals, the typical office shredder just doesn’t cut it! Compare the cost of operating an office shredder, labor costs Vs Our Affordable shredding service.
  • Security: We guarantee confidential document destruction and provide a Notarized Certificate of Destruction for each and every job.
  • Convenience:Unique Drop Off Shredding and convenient Location.

Best Boston Shredding ServiceLowell Shredding Service

Privacy Laws

Did you know there are actual laws regarding Document Privacy and paper shredding? Most small businesses and residents are not aware of the laws for the proper disposal of records containing personal information. Massachusetts Attorney General is very serious about protecting residents and businesses from identity theft. It doesn’t matter if the information was used in a crime or the age of the documents, the mere fact that documents were disposed of in an improper manner will find that company or individual answering to the Attorney General’s office and in wrong side of the law. And in all likelihood, they will find themselves writing a large settlement check to the State and will incur a hefty legal bill.

Hipaa_complianceDocument privacy Laws

Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA)
The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, 2003 (FACTA) was enacted in December 2003 with more specific document destruction rules coming into effect on June 1, 2005. FACTA amended the existing Fair Credit Reporting Act providing consumers, companies, consumer reporting agencies and regulators with new tools to expand consumer access to credit, enhance the accuracy of consumer financial information, and help fight identity theft. FACTA is administered by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal U.S. law that protects the privacy of student education records.

Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLB Act)
The Financial Modernization Act of 1999, also known as the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLB Act), protects the privacy of consumer information held by financial institutions and requires companies to give consumers privacy notices that explain the institutions information-sharing practices. The Act also provides consumers with the right to limit some sharing of their information.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is a United States federal law that requires health care organizations to “maintain reasonable and appropriate, technical, and physical safeguards to prevent intentional or unintentional use or disclosure of protected health information.” Protected health information (PHI) includes patient medical records, patient logs, insurance, billing and other personally identifiable health information.

Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX)
Enacted following a series of high-profile accounting scandals in the United States, most notably Enron and Worldcom, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) is intended to enhance corporate responsibility and financial reporting as well as combat corporate and accounting fraud. It is one of the most complex pieces of legislation passed in the United States in recent years and includes some of the most far reaching reforms of American business practices since the 1930′s.

US Safe Harbor Program
The European Union’s Directive on Data Protection prohibits the transfer of personal data to US companies which do not meet the Commission’s standards for privacy protection.

USA Patriot Act
The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act (USA Patriot Act) was enacted in October 2001 in an effort to “deter and punish terrorist acts in the United States and around the world, to enhance law enforcement investigator tools and for other purposes.”

Visit our blog for latest document shredding requirements. To help you comply with these Federal and State laws, please look at our long list of document and media destruction services.

 

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