Recently, it has become obvious that going green is no longer an option but an environmental necessity. Numerous Chicago based companies have adapted their business models in order to become greener. One of these methods is practicing environmentally friendly paper shredding.

One of the simplest and effective ways to become more environmentally friendly is to become paperless. Conducting the majority of business online allows for orders to be placed online and processed without wasting any paper. This can be done locally, nationally, and internationally. Although it is possible to largely reduce the amount of paper that is used, it is not possible to eliminate it completely. Any individual or business will have physical documents that need to be saved instead of being put on a computer's hard drive. This is where green shredding companies come in handy. Many Chicago companies that practice document destruction or document shredding are able to improve the environment through the practice of green paper shredding.

Eco-friendly shredding companies, after destroying the paper, recycle the shredded paper that serves to reuse the paper that you have thrown away. This prevents your garbage from ending up in a landfill where too much of our waste goes to rest and prevents the destruction of more forests.

Even if you decide to not use one of the many green Chicago based shredding companies, shredded paper can be utilized for your personal use as well. For example, they can be used as a substitute for Styrofoam peanuts when packing up fragile items. This both recycles the paper as well as saves you the money you would otherwise spend on packing materials. Shredded paper can also be used in compost piles, which will naturally degrade the paper.

Green paper shredding companies, similar to the majority of companies, have been encouraged to become environmentally friendly. The dilemma is, however, is that in order for the company to thrive, there has to be paper that needs to be destroyed. Although this does pose a problem, it certainly does not make the practice of environmentally friendly paper shredding impossible. Services that shred paper have developed methods to both destroy as well as reuse any shredded documents.

One increasingly popular way to shred documents is known as mobile shredding. Shredding paper in a vehicle that emits exhaust is not exceedingly environmentally conscious. However, green paper shredding companies have manufactured trucks that treat the exhaust that is generated using a diesel particulate filter. The filter acts by trapping the soot that is produced by the exhaust gas. In effect, this reduces the pollutants that are released from the exhaust into the surrounding atmosphere.

In addition, environmentally friendly paper shredding companies in Chicago attempt to use as many environmentally friendly products as possible in their daily processes. These products include cleaning supplies that are soy-based as well as other items that are biodegradable. These companies that shred paper also recycle a large amount of their products. This decreases the amount of forest trees that are needed to produce additional paper.