SecureShred receives e-Stewards certification

Opportunity Enterprises’ SecureShred operation in Valparaiso, Indiana, has become e-Stewards certified, making it the first processor in northern Indiana to do so, according to a news release from e-Stewards. SecureShred provides information technology asset disposition (ITAD) services, focusing on confidential data destruction. The organization also is NAID (National Association for Information Destruction) AAA certified, which will become a requirement of e-Stewards this year. 

Opportunity Enterprises is a nonprofit organization that works to help individuals with developmental disabilities. It founded SecureShred, which provides ITAD, electronics recycling and paper shredding services. Its electronics recycling services include collection, sorting, dismantling and hard drive data sanitization.

“As companies are becoming more environmentally and socially conscious, they seek vendors of a like mind,” Neil Samahon, CEO of Opportunity Enterprises, says. “Our decision to pursue e-Stewards certification started with a desire to raise the bar on responsible recycling for ourselves and our customers.” 

As a social enterprise of Opportunity Enterprises, SecureShred offers employment opportunities for people with disabilities. According to e-Stewards, SecureShred’s mission to empower a workforce that is often ignored aligns closely with the e-Stewards’ mission of encouraging recyclers to have an inclusive workforce that provides gainful employment to individuals with autism and other disabilities. Individuals with disabilities comprise 70 percent of SecureShred’s workforce.