Shred-it
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Information security |
| Founded | 1988 |
| Founder | Greg Brophy |
| Headquarters | Bannockburn, Illinois , United States |
Area served | United States, Canada, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg |
| Products | Document destruction, hard drive and digital media destruction, specialty item destruction |
| Owner | Waste Management (parent company Stericycle Inc. acquired by Waste Management in 2024) |
Number of employees | 5000+ |
Shred-it operates as an information security provider under Stericycle Inc., focusing on the destruction of documents, hard drives, and specialized items. Based in Bannockburn, Illinois, the firm extends its services throughout the United States, Canada, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Germany, and Luxembourg. Employing a workforce exceeding 5,000 individuals, Shred-it supports worldwide efforts dedicated to secure data disposal.
The company is well-known for publishing its Annual Data Protection Report, a significant industry resource that surveys small business owners, executives at the C-level, and consumers regarding trends in data protection and information security. This publication highlights Shred-it’s position as a leading authority in cybersecurity risk management and regulatory compliance.
Within Stericycle’s extensive service offerings, Shred-it capitalizes on its specialized capabilities to address increasing concerns about data breaches and compliance mandates. Its operational approach centers on delivering secure destruction solutions customized for corporate clients and government agencies aiming to reduce information security vulnerabilities.
History
Shred-it was established by Greg Brophy in 1988 and officially incorporated in 1989. In 1993, Brophy expanded operations by founding Securit Manufacturing Solutions (SMS), which manufactures security consoles and custom shredding trucks for Shred-it locations while also supplying industrial shredders to other secure destruction companies.
In 2014, Shred-it combined forces with Cintas Document Shredding but retained the Shred-it brand name. The following year, Stericycle acquired Shred-it for $2.3 billion, incorporating it into its suite of waste management and compliance solutions.
Starting in 2016, Shred-it began sponsoring Good Riddance Day held in New York City's Times Square as part of a marketing campaign to boost brand recognition. In 2018, it secured a nationwide agreement with the U.S. Communities Government Purchasing Alliance (OMNIA Partners), enhancing its presence in the public sector.
In 2024, Waste Management (WM) acquired Stericycle, thereby bringing Shred-it under WM’s corporate umbrella and expanding its global footprint.
Document destruction
Shred-it delivers document destruction through industrial shredding equipment available for one-time or ongoing service arrangements. The company utilizes a fleet of trucks capable of performing on-site shredding or transporting materials to its secure facilities. These vehicles also support Community Shred-it programs in collaboration with groups such as Crime Stoppers, aimed at raising identity theft awareness while ensuring confidential documents are securely destroyed. Pricing is customized per project, with all shredded paper materials recycled responsibly.
Hard drive, digital media, and specialty item destruction
The company provides secure disposal of hard drives and digital storage media to eliminate any possibility of data recovery. Its destruction techniques include shearing—cutting drives into minuscule fragments using 40,000 pounds of force—and crushing—applying 7,500 pounds of pressure to render drives unusable. Additionally, Shred-it handles the destruction of specialty items that could pose risks to business security or reputation; examples include uniforms, casino chips, ID badges, prototypes, pill containers, and obsolete branding materials.
In 2023, Shred-it launched ProtectPlus, a subscription service for document destruction that also integrates cybersecurity and privacy training for its clients.
Partnerships
In 2023, Shred-it entered into a two-year collaboration with Tony Hawk, which included sponsoring the 2023 Tony Hawk’s Vert Alert event held in Salt Lake City and organizing a Community Shred-it event. These initiatives served to boost the company's brand prominence and deepen its engagement within the market.
Recognition
Shred-it earned the Gold award at the 15th Annual Info Security PG’s Global Excellence Awards in 2019 for its "White Paper or Research Report." That same year, the company achieved a Guinness World Record by shredding 239,060 lbs (108,435.79 kg) of paper waste within an eight-hour timeframe. From 2019 onwards, Shred-it has upheld its "Superbrands Status" for four straight years, underscoring its significant industry acclaim and influence.