Where Does My Paper End Up?

Understanding the Shredding Process

Most would agree that it’s vital that the 4.5 million tons of office paper that is discarded each year in the US doesn’t end up in landfill. Many residents and businesses prefer to have a shredding company destroy their secure documents because many areas in the California Central Valley have specific requirements for recycling shredded paper. This is an effort to avoid contaminating other recyclables and having shredded paper fall onto streets or into drainage systems.

When shredding companies take care of your documents, where does all that paper end up?

Follow the Paper Trail

Paper Transported

Prior to shredding, your paper documents will make their initial journey in one of three ways.

1. Pick Up: A shredding company will visit your office to collect your documents from your secure collection containers to take them to their industrial-strength shredder for complete destruction.
2. Drop Off: You will deliver your documents to a shredding company or secure drop off location where they will be safely and securely transported to the shredder.
3. On Site: Your shredding company will bring their shredding equipment to your location and shred the documents in your presence.

Paper Shredded & Baled

After your documents are fully destroyed by the shredder, the shredded material is baled and shipped to a paper mill where they turn the material back into paper pulp. NAID AAA Certified shredding companies are obligated to send their shredded paper to paper mills to be recycled.

Paper Recycled

A paper mill will chemically wash the shredded paper to remove inks and glues. The paper is pulped and combined with other products depending on the final desired paper product. Hydrogen peroxide might be used for a white final product or dyes for colored. Unique final stages determine whether the final product will be office paper, newspaper, cardboard, paper towels, toilet paper or tissues. No matter what process is used, your documents arrive back on the shelves instead of the landfill.

For every ton of paper recycled, you will have rescued 17 trees, saved 9 barrels of oil, and so much more.

Is Your Paper Trail Eco-Friendly?

Choose a shredding provider that is NAID AAA Certified and eco-friendly so your documents will be regenerated back into new paper products.

Pacific Shredding provides NAID AAA Certified shredding services for residents and businesses throughout Fresno, Stockton, Sacramento, Modesto, and Napa and Solano Counties.

For more information about our shredding services, please call us at 800-685-9034 or complete the form on this page.