“We don’t want it; it’s tough to handle, it’s messy and there is little recyclable value.” I bet this is probably along the lines of what you’ve heard from recycling centers about taking your classified shred particles. I guess you can’t really blame them considering this confetti like particle can create a large mess with one drop of a shred bag.

Recently, the concept of briquetting has become very popular with recycling centers. Instead of sending the classified shred particles to a landfill, they are able to mix these briquettes in with their other bales of shredded paper, and send them in to be recycled.

This is an extremely important process in today’s society because of the positive effect it has the environment. By eliminating the process of sending your classified waste to the landfill, you are taking a step in the right direction. Depending on how much classified waste you produce, this could be a very significant decision.

On another note, we have also seen several customers implement the briquetting system to eliminate other costs. Some customers have worked with local recycling companies to implement a system where they work together. Due to the volume of briquettes this customer creates, a recycling company has offered to pick up the briquettes free of charge, provide the customer with free carts to collect the briquettes, and also pay them a small amount on the back end. This has saved the customer a significant amount as well as eliminated their container pulls and hauling costs! Although it may not seem like a lot at first, these numbers add up over time.

Team this briquetting system up with an NSA approved degausser and hard drive shredder and you have the ultimate classified base destruction / recycling facility. This puts you one step closer to being LEED certified!