Environment Impact

Home Our Company Environment Impact

Everyone likes to talk about “going green” and doing their part to save the environment, Shred Works does more than just talk. We are a “Bay Area Green Business Certified” company which means all our practices and procedures have been audited to ensure we have the highest regard to the environment. Everything we shred is recycled to reach our goal of 100% landfill aversion. That is significant because last year alone we shredded and recycled 3,856 tons of paper and in the process saved 65,552 trees.

 

However, our impact on the environment is more than just saving trees. What many people don’t realize is that the process to turn trees into paper requires a significant amount of energy and water and it also adds pollutants into our air. Consider this. Recycling just one ton of paper saves about 7,000 gallons of water and 4,100 kilowat hours of electricity. (See below.)

 

So how did our paper recycling impact the environment? Besides the 65,552 trees noted above, we also saved 26,992,000 gallons of water, 15,809,600 kilowatts of electricity, 11,568 cubic yards of landfill, 7,712 gallons of oil and stopped 231,360pounds of pollutants from being released into the air. (See below.)

One Ton Of Recycled Paper Saves:
  • 7,000 Gallons of Water
  • 4,100 Kilowatts of Electricity
  • 60 Pounds of Air Pollutants
  • 17 Trees
  • 3 Cubic Yards of Landfill
  • 7,712 Gallons of Oil
Our Recycling Efforts In  2007 Saved:
  • 26,992,000  Gallons of Water
  • 15,809,600  Kilowatts of Electricity
  • 231,360 Pounds of Air Pollutants
  • 65,552 Trees
  • 11,568 Cubic Yards of Landfill
3 Things You Can Do To Help Save The Enviroment

So what can you do to help the environment?  Here’s three simple things you can do to make a significant impact:

  1. Recycle- Everyone knows about the essential items they should be recycling at home, like paper, plastics, glass and aluminum.  But recycling shouldn’t stop there.  At home you can also have a yard sale to recycle items your family no longer uses or you can recycle your old clothes by donating them to a charity.  At work, you can set the example and encourage others to recycle as well.  If you don’t have a recycling program at work you can click here for some great ideas from the California Department of  Conservation.
  2. Green Certification- There is a big difference between companies that are “Green Certified” and those that are not. The Bay Area Green Business Program verifies that businesses meet higher standards of environmental performance.  In today’s environment it is important to conserve resources and using a “Green Certified” business will do just that. Shred Works is one of only two shredding companies in Northern California with the title of a “Green Certified Business”. For more information on this program just click here.
  3. Use a Certified Shredding Service- If your organization is using an office shredder instead of a certified shredding service, chances are that at least one of your office mates is dumping shredded paper in the trash, instead of the recycling bin.  That means your organization is not only NOT recycling all the paper they should, they’re also exposing confidential information to “dumpster divers” who can sift through your trash and then piece together strips of company information for their own personal gain.  A NAID AAA shredding company, like Shred Works will recycle all your paper with our secure recycling program, while keeping your discarded information safe.  For more information just click here.