High Security Shredding

Here at Shred Station, we understand that the secure destruction of your confidential and sensitive documents should be taken very seriously. That’s why we offer the very best high-security shredding options.

Shred Station provides an expert high-security shredding service for documents that require enhanced levels of protection above that of our standard shredding service. With our high-security services, you can expect a smaller shred size, and you are able to request personnel with higher vetting status than our standard BS7858 security levels. If you’re responsible for shredding paper or documents with protective classifications, a high-security service will be suitable.

High security destruction, UK-wide

Our high-security shredding offering is one of the best ways to destroy items that require additional security measures to protect, for instance, classified documents.

Smaller shred size
Using our multi-cut shredders, we’ll destroy your confidential paper into tiny pieces smaller than 15mm² or DIN Level P4.
Enhanced vetting
With our high-security and granulation services, you can request operatives with higher vetting, e.g. CTC or SC clearance.
Certificate of destruction
We provide a certificate after every service as proof of destruction, demonstrating your chain of custody and compliance.
Peace of mind
With higher security shredding, you have even more peace of mind that your confidential documents are irrecoverable.

Fully compliant and secure

Our efficient, high-security service meets DIN level P4, EN 15713, GDPR, and all UK government standards. We are experts in the secure destruction of documents containing highly sensitive information, including classified materials.

This level of security renders documents irrecoverable, ensuring the complete safety of your confidential data and protecting these sensitive documents from the risk of a breach. Unlike many other shredding companies, we also shred sacks, boxes, and other containers whole. This prevents the risk of the documents being seen by unauthorised personnel during destruction.

We can also provide an ultra-high security granulation service that destroys your documents into tiny 2mm fragments, in line with DIN Level P7 particle sizes.

Our secure and compliant practices mean we are trusted by government organisations across the UK for high-security shredding. Whatever you need to destroy, our highly secure destruction services will ensure your information cannot fall into the wrong hands.

High-security shredding services at your premises

Our high-security shredding is available when and where you need it. We provide expert, high-security shredding services for a wide range of clients across the UK, including global organisations, government departments, and defence agencies. We can provide these services on-site for your agents to witness using the industrial shredders on board our specialist vehicles, and we can assist with any size requirement, from a single bag of materials to an entire building full.

Just like our dedicated destruction facilities and other fleet vehicles, our mobile high-security shredding vehicles are fully monitored by CCTV inside and out. As with all services, all shredding will be conducted by our security-vetted personnel. Our on-site high security service is an ideal solution for companies and organisations that need extremely sensitive information destroyed in front of witnesses, with enhanced security in the form of a much smaller shred size.

We can also provide highly secure data shredding for non-paper items like hard drives, in addition to secure document destruction. Please note that where you wish to use high-security services for more than one type of item (e.g. paper and hard drives), the materials must be separated from each other to ensure we can recycle as much as possible.

Our expert team can assist you with any questions you have about our high-security paper and non-paper services. Or, if you just want a price, you can request a quick quote.

High security shredding certifications

Shred Station is fully accredited, and our standard shredding service complies with all the necessary shredding standards to ensure total security. Our high-security service meets those same stringent requirements, just with a smaller shred size. We also have team members with higher-level security clearances, such as Counter Terrorism Check (CTC) and Security Check (SC). These operatives can be deployed for high-security jobs. Some key accreditations that demonstrate care and due diligence in our quality management systems include:

ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems
This certification assures our customers that we are committed to delivering operational excellence. The ISO 9001 certification involves an audit of our quality systems and processes. This includes keeping your information secure whilst also ensuring our customer communications are constantly being adapted and improved to remain effective in a changing world.
ISO14001 Environmental Management Systems
This certification assures our clients that we have environmental best practice built into our operational processes, including shredded waste disposal. We will recycle 100% of your shredded documents and are regularly inspected to ensure our compliance with these standards remains consistent.
UKSSA membership
To become a member of the United Kingdom Security Shredding Association (UKSSA), companies must undergo annual audits against BS EN 15713 security shredding standards. This standard outlines the framework under which companies in the shredding industry must handle the destruction of confidential information.
BSIA membership
As a member of the BSIA, Shred Station stays at the forefront of all industry news and updates to security shredding standards. As the Chair of the BSIA’s Information Destruction Section, Shred Station’s Commercial Director, Kristian Carter, was part of the team that helped to update the EN 15713:2023 standard, superseding the 2009 version. This involvement enables us to prepare in advance for upcoming changes to shredding legislation.

Shredding security standards explained

If you’re unsure about shredding standards and what they mean, you may find our shredding standards guide helpful. This guide explains the difference between DIN, EN 15713 and NPSA standards, and how each of these could apply to what you want to achieve when entrusting the destruction of your sensitive materials to an external specialist like Shred Station.

Frequently asked questions

If your query hasn’t been answered on this page, please feel free to head over to our FAQs page for more information.

What is high-security shredding and how does it differ from normal shredding?

There are several ‘tiers’ of shredding:

Home or office shredding – The lowest security way to shred materials is to shred them with a home or office shredder.

Standard shredding services – The next (large) step up is a secure, fully accredited shredding service. A standard shredding service is suitable for most materials and uses a multi-cut method of destruction, slicing documents into small pieces.

High-security shredding – With high-security shredding services, materials are shredded to a smaller shred size on-site at your premises. High-security shred size is typically smaller than 15mm².

Granulation – Document granulation is an extremely high-security service. Granulation is really only requested by organisations such as defence agencies or for highly confidential, classified government materials. Granulation destroys materials into tiny 2mm² fragments.

Do you comply with EN 15713 or DIN 66399?

We perform our services in line with EN 15713 standards (the European Standard) rather than DIN 66399 (the German Standard). This is because EN 15713 covers all aspects of shredding service security, including shred size, whereas DIN only covers shred size. You can find more information about the differences between DIN 66399 and EN 15713 in our help guide.

Is shredding GDPR compliant?

Yes – when done properly. Shred Station has performed professional shredding services since 2008. Our refined processes and systems ensure that all of your shredding services comply with the General Data Protection Regulations as well as European shredding standard EN 15713. All of our staff are security-vetted to BS7858 standards, and your information will be destroyed compliantly.

What is ‘level 4’ shredding?

If you’ve ever used home/office shredder, the box probably includes a ‘level’ that the machine shreds to. These levels related to DIN 66399 levels – the German standard of shred sizes. To achieve ‘level 4’ shredding for paperwork, also known as P-4, the resultant fragment size would need to be ≤160mm2, with a strip width of 6mm maximum. This is probably fine for a home shredding machine, but when you’re using a shredding service provider, size isn’t everything.

Shredding service providers should have a comprehensive security process in place, focusing on much more than shred sizes. At Shred Station, we work in line with BS EN 15713 – the European standard. This standard does include appropriate shred sizes, but it also looks at things like staff vetting, how paper is transported, and much more. You can read more about shredding standards in the resources section of our website.

Do you provide proof of destruction?

Yes. You will receive a Certificate of Destruction via email. With on-site services, this is provided instantly. With off-site services, it may take a few days for us to process the certificate, but it will be sent within 72 hours guaranteed.

How soon can you perform the service?

Once your quote is accepted, we can agree on a suitable date to perform the service. How soon we can come depends on our route availability in your area. Our average wait time is under a week. If you need an urgent service performed within 24 hours, this is something we can arrange, but additional charges may apply.

How much does it cost to have paper shredded in the UK?

The cost of your service can depend on a variety of factors. For instance:

-Do you want the service on-site at your premises, or off-site at a secure destruction centre?

– Is it just a one-off requirement you have, or do you need regular services?

– How many bags or boxes do you have for shredding?

All of these questions will help our sales team to find the best and most cost-effective option for your needs. You can submit a quote request by clicking the ‘get a quote’ button at the top of your screen.

What’s the difference between on-site and off-site destruction?

With on-site services, your materials are destroyed at your premises on board a secure shredding vehicle. On-site vehicles are equipped with industrial shredding machines, and you can witness the destruction take place from ground-level.

With off-site services, we will collect your materials in a secure, discreetly branded truck. Our operatives will collect your materials, place them into locked containers, and transport them back to our destruction facilities for immediate processing. Our vehicles and facilities are covered by constant 360 CCTV, and our vehicles are also GPS tracked for enhanced security in transit.

Can I destroy multiple materials in one service?

Yes, you can. We can collect everything you need to destroy. However, certain materials must be kept separately from each other. This ensures we can recycle as much as possible after shredding takes place. Our sales team will talk you through the process. We typically recommend off-site destruction for multiple materials to achieve the best value for money.

How long does shredding take?

Our shredders are extremely fast. Our on-site shredding vehicles can destroy around 600,000 sheets per hour – or around 160 boxes. Our depot-based shredders can each destroy 100+ tonnes of paperwork per day.

Our site is secure, so we cannot have your operatives walking around the floors. How can you collect our confidential materials?

Not to worry. Our BS7858 security-vetted operatives can meet your staff at a central loading area to collect your materials. We can provide wheeled confidential waste bins to make this step easier for your staff. Our clients include central government, police forces, prisons, embassies, and every other type of organisation you can think of. Whatever service you require, rest assured your materials will be in the safest of hands.

How do I know I can trust Shred Station with my confidential documents?

When it comes to confidential waste, trust is vital. We go above and beyond to ensure our service security is watertight. We are the largest independent shredding service provider in the world as a result of earning this trust, and our shredding services are approved for UK government use.

We are fully accredited and comply with all BS EN 15713 standards. These standards include security vetting all employees to BS7858 standards as a minimum, using CCTV and GPS-monitored vehicles, and operating from secure premises. We are also members of the BSIA and UKSSA – the UK’s leading trade associations for the shredding industry. Our Commercial Director is also Chair of the BSIA’s information destruction section, putting us at the forefront of all changes to UK shredding requirements.

Granulation – ultra high-security

Shred Station can also perform ultra-high-security document granulation services for Top Secret documents and other classified information. With this service, we can granulate your paperwork into minuscule 2mm fragments.

We can perform granulation services off-site at our secure facilities or on-site on our dedicated granulator vehicle.

Learn more about our granulation services.

Paper shredding – a secure service as standard

If you’re unsure that you need to go to the extremes of a high-security shredding or granulation service, our standard paper shredding service is totally secure. It is suitable for the majority of confidential documents and can be performed on-site at your premises or off-site at our destruction facilities. These are the most cost-effective options for destroying confidential waste effectively.

Explore our paper shredding services.