Today, almost all companies in the data destruction industry claim to be “environmentally friendly.” But how do you know which businesses are true to their word and which ones, well, aren’t?
How to Verify Environmental Claims Made By Shredding Companies
The key here is to dive a level deeper than just the claims of each company. Is it all just talk or are they actually taking concrete and measurable steps to prove they care about the environment?
For example, anyone can make the claim – “our company recycles shredded paper.” Even if the company only recycles 1% of their shredded paper, it would still be within their rights to make this statement.
Also, this is a very broad and vague statement. Where is it recycled? What is it being used to make after it has been recycled? How much of it is being recycled?
On the other hand, let’s say a company makes the claim, “Our company recycles 100% of our recycled paper to help create new paper products with less waste.” Now, this is a statement you can take to the bank. It’s specific, it’s measurable, and it tells you exactly how the recycled paper is going to help the environment.
So, when evaluating environmental claims made by shredding companies, always ask yourself if they’re measurable and specific.
How Western Archives is Working Towards a Sustainable Future
Western Archives has invested in a number of environmentally friendly practices within their business, including:
Recycling shredded paper – Western Archives recycles 100% of their shredded paper so it can be used as raw material to create new products and materials. For every 200 lbs. of paper Western Archives recycles, we are saving approximately:
- 241.2 kWh of energy
- 22.35 gallons of oil
- 1558 liters of water
- 3.7 pounds of air pollution
- 5.67 cubic feet of landfill materials
Low Emission Vehicles – Our shredding trucks and pickup vehicles utilize the latest technology to meet even the most stringent emission standards.
We fuel our vehicles with ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) – a fuel with a reduced sulfur content that allows for the use of superior emissions control technologies that significantly reduce harmful emissions from diesel combustion.
Efficient Route Selection – Our fleet is equipped with GPS tracking and analytics products to help make sure we get to our intended destination while minimizing the amount of fuel we burn. Also, we enforce a company-wide idle policy to monitor our unit fuel mileage.
To learn more about Western Archive’s environmental initiatives, please contact them today!