FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Got a question about Shredall SDS Group? Whether it's about Shredding, Recycling, Storage or Scanning you can find the answer here.

We’ve listed some popular FAQs, but you may want to use the filter button to select a specific subject.

What is the difference between off-site shredding and on-site shredding?

If you opt for off-site shredding, we’ll collect the waste from your premises in locked containers and transfer it to a secure vehicle. It's then transported to our state-of-the-art depot to be confidentially shredded within 24 hours and baled, ready for recycling.

With on-site shredding, we’ll shred your confidential waste without it leaving your premises. Many clients opt for the added reassurance of on-site shredding as you can witness your confidential documents being destroyed first hand.

How can I be guaranteed that my confidential documents have been completely destroyed?

We work in compliance with EN 15713, the standard laid down by the BSIA (British Security Industry Association). This means we follow a number of security measures, all paper is cross-cut to an unidentifiable end product.

If your documents are shredded at your site, an appropriate person from your company will witness the shredding and we’ll issue a certificate of destruction straight away. If it’s destroyed off-site at our secure depot, shredding will take place within 24 hours and we’ll issue a certificate of destruction with your invoice. For added reassurance, there’s always a full audit trail.

What happens to the shredded paper?

As an ISO 14001 registered company, we’re committed to recycling 100% of waste paper. We work with fully registered recycling partners and ensure the entire process is carried out in compliance with appropriate environmental laws and best practice. Much of your shredded paper ends up on the supermarket shelf as tissue-related products.

What if I only need a one-off service?

That’s no problem – we’re in most areas of the UK on a weekly basis and we’ll happily swing by to make an ad-hoc collection. We work with anyone from private individuals to national businesses. No job is too big or too small, and there’s no need to sign up to a regular collection schedule. If you’re having a big clear out, we can even provide as many lockable bins as you need free of charge.

What can Shredall destroy?

We securely destroy paper, cardboard, textiles, print waste and x-rays; used IT and WEEE equipment including computer hard drives, laptops and mobile phones. Data storage including discs, tapes and videos. Any out of date, unwanted or redundant products, like toiletries, branded items, credit cards or uniforms.

What size jobs do you accept?

No job is too large or too small for our Shredding, Scanning or Storage team. Whether you’re a multinational corporation or a small home-based business, you can expect the same prompt, reliable service.

How compliant are you?

Very! Take a look at our compliance page

Are all Shredall SDS Group staff vetted?

Yes! Shredall SDS Group comply with BS 7858 – which ensures all employees are CRB check. Pre-employment screening, vetting and background checks are made to make certain your confidential information is in safe hands.

How do I know that my records or files stored can be retrieved easily?

Our internationally recognised bar-coded software lets you track every box or file stored. Barcodes tell us your details, and the date the data was stored, retrieved, re-filed or destroyed, and who by. This gives a full audit trail of any item moving in or out of our facility. Our advanced software gives you plenty of useful functions including web-based access, document scanning and in-house barcode tracking.

My existing supplier charges an exit fee – how can I make switching affordable?

We offer payment plans to help you when transferring from another supplier, and we’ll tailor your plan to make sure it’s cost effective.

I have thousands of files and boxes – is it too much effort to move supplier?

Not at all – we’ll sort it all out for you. We’ll liaise with your existing supplier to collect and transport your records securely. We’ll also assign an account manager to manage the entire process and make sure the transfer goes smoothly.

Will I be able to retrieve a file of box during the uplift process?

Again, not a problem. We’ll transfer boxes in manageable volumes and scan them into locations in the warehouse on the same day, so files can be retrieved straight away if needed and returned in paper form or as a scanned file.

Can I have a report or track files stored online?

As we record all box/file references we can provide a hard copy inventory. Or you can useSDS Softwareto access your account and manage documents online. You can even produce your own orders for files to be retrieved or destroyed.

How quickly can files be retrieved?

You can get an electronic version of a file in minutes using our scan-on-demand service. You can also get the hard copy on our next scheduled delivery, or emergency delivery within an hour.

Is there a contract between us?

We draw up a service agreement for all regular shredding customers. These range from 12 to 36 months depending on you what’s best for you. For ad-hoc services we simply need a confirmation of order. Once you’re set up on our system you can use us as and when you need, with no fixed contract.

For scanning and document storage services we draw up a comprehensive contract which could be between 12 and 60 months.

How do I find my records once they’ve been scanned?

We can classify and index individual documents to give you an inventory of your archived records. Indexing those files into standard fields makes it easier to find and retrieve the documents as and when you need them. You can use our SDS Box document management software for online quick retreival of your scanned and indexed documents.

How secure are my files?

Our facility meets the very highest security standards. All our document management services are carried out at the same site, where all staff have the top level of security clearances. Our site is Red-care alarm protected, CCTV monitored and ISO 27001 certified, so you can rest assured that your physical and electronic documents are as safe as they possible can be.

How much will it cost to scan my documents?

Paper documents come in many different shapes and sizes and we offer a fully bespoke service. For this reason, we can’t give an accurate figure without knowing more about what you need. But you can get a free, no-obligation quote through ourenquiry page

How long will it take to scan my documents?

The turnaround time will depend on the size and scope of each project. To help work out the completion date, we always carry out a test scan on a batch of documents, which also lets us check the scanned documents are of the right quality. If you need a file during the digital transformation process, we can retrieve and scan it using our express service, which comes with a one-hour turnaround guarantee.

Do you offer a nationwide collection service?

Yes, we have multiple sites and can collect from anywhere in the UK. For security and auditing purposes, all boxes and files are barcoded and tracked from the minute they leave your premises. Shredded documents can be collected nationwide on an ad-hoc or scheduled basis.