As a business that handles sensitive records and documents, you know the importance of keeping records stored securely. After a certain amount of time, you may need to shred these documents. Like you, other businesses and individuals in your community may have documents they need to shred as well, but they may not have the resources available to them. You could consider hosting a shred event. Here’s how to host a shred event post-COVID-19 that helps your business and your community at the same time.
What Is a Shred Event?
Typically, a shred event offers an easy, secure, and safe way for local businesses, nonprofits, organizations and individuals to destroy sensitive documents and files. Shred events also help raise awareness of the importance of information security, proper document destruction, and preventing identity theft. Often, local businesses sponsor a community shred event. While some shred events ask for a donation or small fee to offset the shredding costs, many businesses host a shred event for free. Most shred events are held at large, open areas where multiple shredding trucks can be used at the same time. Many events have sponsors’ tents, local news media, and booths with free informational materials for anyone attending. It’s a greener way to safely destroy documents.
How to Host a Shred Event and Ensure Safety
During these challenging COVID-19 times, people are working hard to provide helpful services while following CDC guidelines. If you’re considering hosting a shred event, here are some tips to ensure your attendees’ safety and a successful event:
- Host the shred event in a large, open area, such as the parking lot.
- Ask all shred event volunteers to wear masks and gloves.
- Choose a weekend date and time to have a greater turnout.
- Schedule mobile shredding trucks, and ask truck operators to wear masks and gloves.
- Keep hand sanitizer, extra masks, and gloves, sanitizing sprays, and wipes available for easy access.
- Have any news media, local business booths, and any other tables at least six feet apart.
- Promote your shred event to your customers through email, social media platforms, and online resources.
- Reach out to local businesses and organizations, and ask them to promote your shred event on their social media.
- Have volunteers dedicated to both vehicle and foot traffic management to ensure all social distancing guidelines are met.
- Allow shred event participants to watch their documents go through the shredder at a safe distance.
- Offer a certificate of destruction for anyone who has documents that require it.
- Create a drive-thru pattern that allows attendees to stay in their cars at all times.
- Use cones and traffic signs to safely direct cars and to protect shred event team members.
- Designate a single person per vehicle to remove shred event materials from the trunk or backseat.
- Have clear signage that shredding is for paper only (no plastics, CDs, metal, or any other non-paper product).
- Use masks when appropriate
What Items Cannot Be Shredded?
Make sure you let shred event participants know what items cannot be shredded in advance. Additionally, have clear signage at the shred event indicating that only paper can be shredded. Below are some items that cannot be shredded at a shred event:
- Metal
- Plastic
- CDs or DVDs
- Cell phones
- Batteries of any kind
- Anything that isn’t paper
Consider having informational materials about where these items can be taken for proper recycling or disposal should anyone attending ask.
Why Should You Consider Hosting a Shred Event?
While hosting a shred event can be a large task, it could benefit your business tremendously. You will be helping your community learn about the importance of shredding sensitive, private documents correctly and offering a safe way to dispose of such materials. You will also:
- Give your company a PR boost.
- Get your business’s name in front of people.
- Reduce identity theft in your community.
- Offer a cost-effective way to dispose of documents.
People are more likely going to remember that your company hosted a shred event and will keep you in mind should they ever need your company’s services. Additionally, good press and positive reviews go a long way, and a shred event is a great way to increase positive brand awareness.
Document Storage, Shredding, and More
As part of your mobile shred event, give attendees useful information about safe document storage. Lawyers, people in education, nonprofit leaders, and healthcare workers, like counselors or doctors in private practice, might come to your event in need of document shredding services, but they may also need information about document storage, vault storage, x-ray film recycling, electronic data destruction and more. Having information available about these types of storage services allows you and your business to stand out as a trusted partner and a thought leader. Rely on the document storage and shredding experts in the Delaware Valley and Denver areas, DocuVault. From secure storage to help you host a successful community shred event, DocuVault offers a wide range of services to fit your needs. Discover what DocuVault can do for you by calling us for your quote today at (856) 290-4601. We have hosted so many events. Visit one of our proud partners if you’re looking for: