Cheapest Shredding Services Near Me: Drop Off vs Mobile Shredding

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Shredding your sensitive files is essential to protecting your data. A shredding service can help to eliminate worry and get rid of sensitive documents fast; however, not all services are the same. But how can you determine which place is actually the cheapest option to shred your documents?

This article compares drop off shredding services and mobile document shredding services to help you understand which service best meets your needs. We include information regarding the volume of documents you have, what your security requirements are, and how much you are willing to pay. Watch the video or read the transcript below to learn more.

Video Transcript

Finding the Cheapest Place to Shred Your Documents

There are several different ways to shred, and finding the cheapest way to get rid of your documents depends on your individual project needs and goals.

For example, if you’re someone who constantly has documents to shred, saving up paper for a mobile shredding solution can be a good option for you to save money and time. The price of each service will depend on your location, project size, and other factors.

Drop Off Vs. Mobile Shredding: What is Cheaper?

Drop Off Shredding

Typically, drop-off shredding are best for project 90 lbs or less and charge by the pound. The price differs by location, but can be as cheap as $1/lb.

The Drop Off Shredding Service Process. Cheapest Shredding Services Near Me. cheapest way to shred documents

Mobile Shredding

Mobile shredding is geared for larger shredding projects. The national average cost for a mobile service is around $130-$175 for a project of 1-10 boxes. However, pricing will vary based on your project size.

The Mobile Shredding Process. Cheapest Shredding Services Near Me. cheapest way to shred documents

Drop Off vs Mobile Advantages

Drop Off Advantages Mobile Advantages
There’s always a drop off location nearby with over 6,000 locations in UPS and other packaging stores throughout the US Mobile conveniently comes to you—instead of taking papers in or shredding yourself, shredding trucks can come to save you time
No scheduling is required—like the names implies, you can drop in on your schedule, and it’s fast enough to be only a 5 minute stop You witness shredding when it’s done onsite—whether for legal needs or personal assurance, mobile shredding is the most secure option
You pay only for what you shred rather than flat pricing—when you don’t have too much to shred, you won’t be paying much either Costs don’t scale with the size of the shredding project.
Drop off prioritizes security—while you don’t see the actual shredding, you drop off your papers in locked shred bins Mobile shredding’s securities make it ideal for negotiable instruments like blank checks, certificates, and promissory notes

Calculating Paper Quantity

Type of Container Container Size Amount of Paper
File Cabinets Vertical File Cabinet 24” Drawer 1 box (30 lbs) per drawer
Horizontal File Cabinet 30” Drawer 2 boxes (60 lbs) per drawer
Bags Black Plastic Yard/Leaf Bag 1 box (30 lbs)
Tall White Kitchen Bag 1 box (30 lbs)
File Boxes Letter/Legal Box (15” x 12” x 10”) 30 lbs
Large Letter Box (24” x 12” x 10”) 60 lbs
Large Legal Box (24” x 15” x 10”) 90 lbs
Pallets 4 Rows High (4 ft) 50 boxes (1,500 lbs)
5 Rows High (5 ft) 60 boxes (1,800 lbs)
6 Rows High (6 ft) 72 boxes (2,160 lbs)
Bins 64 Gallon Bin 7 boxes (210 lbs)
95 Gallon Bin 10 boxes (300 lbs)

The Cheapest Option: Finding the Intersection

The crossroads between scaling price of drop off to match paper weight becomes a disadvantage. Drop off shredding prices continue to rise as quantity goes up. However, mobile services are a flat rate. 

A local drop off location, which you can find at this link, becomes the cheapest place to shred documents when you have fewer pounds of paper. As the amount of paper gets higher, a mobile shredding service quickly becomes a cheaper way to shred your documents. 

Ready to Get Started?

Have you decided on the best solution for your project? We partner with trusted document destruction providers across the nation, and work hard to help you find the right solution for your shredding needs. 

Find nearby drop off shredding locations with our store locator, fill out the form for free quotes on mobile shredding services in your area, or give us a call at (800) 747-3365.