Getting Rid of Paper

There's a very long article in today's AZ Republic about the shredding business and the lack of government regulation. It starts this way:

The shredding industry in Arizona is on a tear.

Demand for document destruction services in Arizona is at an all-time high, driven by high identity-theft rates and new rules requiring businesses to properly dispose of personal information.

Companies large and small, homegrown and from other states, are stepping up to meet the need.

But while the shredding blitz has provided an economic boon, it also is causing concern among some longtime operators.

Their worries: No state or federal agency regulates the industry.

Companies largely police themselves, guided by a non-profit trade group based in Phoenix called the National Association for Information Destruction Inc., or NAID.

Although no incidents have been reported in Arizona, some industry watchers fear that unscrupulous firms could pose as shredders, persuade businesses to hand over papers, and steal all kinds of information.

"The industry has exploded," said David Friedman, owner of Security Data Destruction Inc. in Phoenix and an NAID certified member. "Arizona businesses have been very active in demanding this service."

The surge in individuals wanting to shred documents is partly because Arizona ranks No. 1 in the country in identity thefts, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

In 2005, 6,406 Arizona consumers filed identity-theft complaints to the FTC. The Las Vegas and Riverside/San Bernardino, Calif., areas rounded out the top three.

If you have time to read the rest of the article there are some interesting tidbits there. My interest revolves around taking our office paperless. The process has gone in fits and starts, and lately my attention to the paperless side of life has been slowed a bit. But, human nature being what it is, I have several boxes of old files and scanned documents that are ready for destruction. Hmm, I wonder if my lack of "getting around to" calling a shredding company has more to do with no time or holding on to those papers just a little bit longer for my own false sense of security? The document retrieval system has worked very well for me; as long as I have input the document into the computer, I've been able to find it when I need it. Methinks I need to believe in the system enough to lead the charge in shredding the paper.

On the other hand, that would require me to actually BE at the office; and I've been working from home of late. Maybe Staples will have a sale of those round tuits, and I can go buy some. Yeah, that should do it.