Personal documents, outdated records, old tax files, financial statements and other confidential paperwork eventually need to be securely destroyed. But where can you shred documents yourself, and which option makes the most sense?
There are several ways to securely get rid of old documents. You can use a home paper shredder, take documents to an office supply store, attend a community shred event, drop documents off at a professional shredding companies near me, or arrange mobile shredding at your home.
Each option has advantages and disadvantages depending on how much paper you have, how quickly you want it destroyed and how important convenience, cost and security are to you.
Where Can I Shred Documents Near Me?
If you’re looking for somewhere to shred old documents, there are several common options.
| Option | Best For | Cost | Convenience |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home Paper Shredder | Small amounts on an ongoing basis | Cost of purchasing and maintaining a shredder | Convenient at home, but time-consuming for larger volumes |
| Office Supply Store | Small quantities | Often charged by weight | Convenient, with many retail locations |
| Community Shred Event | Occasional cleanouts | Often free or by donation | Good value, but only available on specific dates |
| Professional Shredding Company | Boxes of documents or sensitive records | Drop-off or mobile service pricing | Secure and efficient for larger quantities |
Need to shred old documents and records?
Are there shredding companies near me?
When it comes to shredding documents, there are many different options to choose from – each with their pros and cons. See the list below to learn more about your different options, including finding shredding companies near me.
Office Supply Stores
Office supply stores may be convenient, but they can’t guarantee document safety
Office supply stores such as Staples offer in-store paper and document shredding services.
Their biggest advantage is convenience. With many retail locations, it may be easy to drop off a small quantity of documents while you’re already running errands.
As of August 2026, Staples Canada advertises in-store shredding at $1.49 per pound. Documents are placed into locked in-store bins and the shredding is completed through Iron Mountain.
There are, however, some differences between dropping documents off at a retailer and taking them directly to a professional shredding company.
The retailer accepting your documents is not necessarily the organization that ultimately destroys them. Your paperwork must remain safe and secure stored at the retail location until it is collected by the shredding provider.
Depending on the store’s collection schedule and volume, documents may remain in the secure collection bin for days or even weeks before they are picked up and destroyed.
If you want your confidential information destroyed quickly, it is worth asking how often the shredding containers are collected.
Other questions to consider include:
- Who actually destroys my documents?
- Where are my documents stored before collection?
- How often are shredding bins picked up?
- Are my documents transported to another facility?
- How quickly are they destroyed after collection?
- Can I receive a Certificate of Destruction?
Cost is another consideration.
Office supply stores generally charge by weight, which may be convenient if you only have a few pounds of paper. However, the cost can increase significantly when you have a full box.
A standard banker’s box filled with paper can weigh approximately 25–35 lbs.
At Staples’ current rate of $1.49 per pound, a 30 lb box would cost approximately $44.70 to shred.
Blue-Pencil’s drop-off shredding service is $20 per standard banker’s box, regardless of the weight of the paper inside.
If you have a full box or several boxes, it is worth comparing your options before choosing a shredding service.
Buy a Paper Shredder
Paper Shredders are convenient but not ideal for completely destroying sensitive information.
If you want complete control over your documents, buying a Paper shredder for your home may be a good option.
Home shredders are available in many different sizes and security levels. If you only generate a small amount of confidential paperwork, having a shredder nearby means you can destroy documents as soon as you no longer need them.
However, not all paper shredders provide the same level of security.
Strip-Cut, Cross-Cut and Micro-Cut Shredders
Strip-cut shredders cut documents into long strips and generally provide the lowest level of security.
Cross-cut shredders cut paper in two directions, creating much smaller pieces and providing a higher level of protection.
Micro-cut shredders create even smaller particles and can be a good choice for particularly sensitive personal information.
If you’re purchasing a shredder for confidential records, consider the security level of the machine rather than choosing based on price alone.
There are also practical limitations to home shredding.
Residential paper shredders typically have limits on:
- How many sheets can be shredded at once
- How long the shredder can continuously operate
- The thickness of documents
- Whether staples or paper clips can be processed
- How much shredded paper the bin can hold
If you shred a few documents every week, these limitations may not matter.
If you’ve accumulated several boxes of old paperwork, however, feeding documents through a small shredder can take hours. Residential shredders can also overheat or jam when they are used continuously.
For larger cleanouts, taking documents to a professional shredding service can save considerable time.
Community Shred Events
Another option is to take advantage of a local community shred event.
Community shredding events are often organized by municipalities, charities, community organizations or local businesses in partnership with professional shredding companies.
Many events are free or request a small charitable donation.
Community shred events take place throughout Toronto and the GTA, including communities such as Brampton, Mississauga, Oakville and Toronto.
Some events are held as part of a larger community festival, while others are dedicated shredding events.
Blue-Pencil has also participated in community shredding events, including events held in partnership with Crime-Stoppers.
At many events, a mobile shredding truck is on-site and documents can be destroyed while the event is taking place.
Community shred events can be a great option if you:
- Have accumulated documents for an annual cleanout
- Don’t need them destroyed immediately
- Have a manageable quantity to transport
- Can attend on the scheduled date
The biggest disadvantage is availability.
Free community shred events usually take place on specific dates and may only happen once or twice per year in your area.
If you need documents destroyed now, waiting for the next community event may not be practical.
In that case, you can drop off your documents at a local shredding company or arrange residential mobile shredding.
Drop Documents Off at a Professional Shredding Company
Professional shredding services aren’t only for businesses.
Individuals can also use secure shredding companies to dispose of old tax records, financial documents, household paperwork and other confidential information.
Blue-Pencil offers residential drop-off shredding for people who have documents they no longer need.
Instead of spending hours feeding papers through a home shredder, you can simply bring your documents to a drop-off location for secure destruction.
Blue-Pencil’s drop-off shredding costs $20 per standard banker’s box.
At our Oakville facility, documents are placed into a locked security bin and shredded at the end of each day.
A Certificate of Destruction can also be provided.
This option can be particularly useful if you have one or several boxes of documents but don’t have enough material to require a mobile shredding truck.
What Documents Should I Shred?
As a general rule, documents containing personal, financial, identifying or confidential information should be securely destroyed before disposal.
Documents you may want to shred include:
- Bank statements
- Credit card statements
- Old tax documents that have passed their required retention period
- Pay stubs
- Investment statements
- Documents containing your Social Insurance Number
- Expired identification documents
- Medical records
- Insurance documents
- Utility bills
- Old cheques
- Employment records
- Documents containing your signature
- Confidential business records
Before destroying tax, financial or business records, make sure you are no longer required to retain them.
Secure Shredding Services For Individuals
Why Shred Documents?
There are several reasons why confidential documents should be securely destroyed rather than simply placed in household garbage or recycling.
Protect Your Personal Information
Old documents can contain information such as your name, address, signature, banking details, account numbers and Social Insurance Number.
Shredding documents helps prevent that information from being easily recovered or misused.
Declutter Your Home or Office
Paper records accumulate quickly.
Regularly reviewing what you need to keep and securely destroying what you no longer require can help reduce clutter and make your important records easier to manage.
Recycle Paper Securely
Professional shredding allows confidential paperwork to be securely destroyed before the resulting paper material enters the recycling process.
This means you can protect your information while also keeping paper out of landfill wherever possible.
What’s the Best Way to Shred Documents?
The best option usually depends on how much paper you need to destroy.
A Handful of Documents
If you only have a small amount of paperwork, a good-quality cross-cut or micro-cut home shredder may be the easiest solution.
A Few Pounds of Paper
A nearby retail shredding service may be convenient if you only have a small quantity.
Because many retail services charge by weight, check the price before dropping off larger quantities.
One to Nine Boxes
If you have one or several full boxes, professional drop-off shredding can be considerably faster than shredding everything yourself.
It may also be less expensive than a retail service that charges by the pound.
Blue-Pencil offers drop-off shredding for $20 per standard banker’s box.
Ten or More Boxes
For larger cleanouts, consider residential mobile shredding.
Instead of loading boxes into your vehicle and transporting them to a shredding location, a mobile shredding truck can come directly to your home.
Your documents can then be securely destroyed on-site.
Can I Watch My Documents Being Shredded?
Yes.
If you want to see your confidential documents being destroyed, an on-site mobile shredding service may be the best option.
A professional shredding truck comes directly to your home, your documents are securely transferred into the vehicle and they are destroyed on-site.
This can be particularly useful for:
- Large household cleanouts
- Estate records
- Old financial files
- Highly sensitive personal documents
- Multiple boxes of accumulated paperwork
You don’t need to transport the documents yourself, and you can witness the shredding process.
Is a Professional Shredding Service Right for Me?
For a few sheets of paper every week, a home shredder may be all you need.
Once you’ve accumulated boxes of documents, however, professional shredding can save a significant amount of time and effort.
Professional shredding also provides safeguards that aren’t available when shredding documents yourself.
Depending on the provider, these may include:
- Secure handling of confidential documents
- Locked collection containers
- Trained and screened information-security professionals
- Certificate of Destruction
- Commercial shredding equipment
- Secure recycling of shredded paper
- Documented security procedures
Blue-Pencil is NAID AAA Certified and Privacy+ Certified, providing independently audited standards for secure information destruction.
There is also no need to remove common staples or paper clips before giving documents to a professional shredding service.
Securely Destroy Your Files With Blue-Pencil!
Blue-Pencil has been providing secure information destruction and document management services in Ontario since 2004.
Individuals and households can access the same professional shredding expertise used by businesses and organizations throughout Toronto and the GTA.
Depending on how much material you have, you can:
- Drop documents off for secure shredding
- Arrange one-time mobile shredding at your home
- Have larger quantities securely destroyed on-site
Blue-Pencil is NAID AAA Certified and Privacy+ Certified.
Whether you have a single box of old household records or years of accumulated paperwork, our team can help you choose the shredding option that makes the most sense.
“We highly recommend Blue-Pencil. The service is excellent and the guys that come out are so nice. It’s a pleasure dealing with them.”
– Mozelle C – More testimonials here!
Frequently Asked Questions About Shredding Documents
Where can I shred documents for free?
Community shred events are one of the most common ways to have personal documents shredded for free.
Some events are completely free, while others request a small charitable donation.
Because events only occur on selected dates, you’ll need to find an upcoming event in your area.
Can I take documents somewhere to be shredded?
Yes.
You can take documents to participating office supply stores, community shredding events or professional shredding companies.
Compare the cost, security process and time to destruction before choosing a provider.
Where can I shred a whole box of documents?
A full box can be taken to a retail shredding service or professional shredding company.
Because retail services often charge by weight, compare the cost before bringing in a full box.
Blue-Pencil currently charges $20 per standard banker’s box for drop-off shredding.
How much does a box of paper weigh?
A standard banker’s box filled with documents typically weighs approximately 25–35 lbs, depending on how tightly it is packed and the type of paper inside.
Do I need to remove staples and paper clips before professional shredding?
Generally, no.
Commercial shredding equipment can process common staples and paper clips, which means you don’t need to spend time preparing every document before shredding.
Looking for a Secure Shredding Solution?
Find your nearest Blue-Pencil drop-off shredding location or contact us to arrange residential mobile shredding.