Cambridge has Harvard, MIT, Kendall Square biotech, and more compliance-regulated records per block than anywhere in Massachusetts. We handle all three worlds.
No other city in Massachusetts asks its shredding vendor to understand FERPA for Harvard and MIT student records, research IP protocols for Kendall Square life sciences labs, and HIPAA for Cambridge Health Alliance and its affiliated clinics — simultaneously. We do. Family-owned in Tewksbury since 2007, BBB A+ rated, zero data breaches. Pickup comes to your Cambridge address, or drop off at 99¢/lb with no appointment needed. Notarized Certificate of Destruction on every job.
A city built on knowledge — and one where compliance-grade records destruction is a professional necessity, not an afterthought.
Cambridge, Massachusetts is home to two of the world’s leading universities, the highest concentration of biotech and life sciences companies in New England, a major community health system, and a startup ecosystem that generates intellectual property, clinical trial data, client contracts, and employee records at an extraordinary rate. Nearly every organization in Cambridge touches at least one federal or state data security framework — and most touch several simultaneously.
What makes Cambridge different from every other location we serve: the compliance requirements overlap and layer in ways that are genuinely unique. A Kendall Square biotech startup may simultaneously hold FERPA-protected student intern records, CUI-designated federally funded research data under DFARS, and HIPAA-regulated clinical trial information — all in the same building. A Harvard-affiliated research clinic may be processing FERPA records for student employees and PHI for research subjects in the same filing cabinet.
Pickup is the practical choice for most Cambridge addresses — the city is dense, parking is limited, and many Kendall Square offices and Harvard Square practices have no loading zone for a personal vehicle. We come to you. Or, if you drive, drop off at our Tewksbury facility at 99¢/lb, no appointment, Mon–Fri 10AM–5PM.
Also serving nearby: Somerville, Watertown, Belmont, Arlington, and Boston. Full service area.
No other Massachusetts city stacks these three frameworks this way. We’ve served all three since 2007.
Cambridge’s shredding obligations are defined by which world — or which combination of worlds — each client operates in. Here is what each one requires, and how we meet it.
Harvard University and MIT together employ tens of thousands of faculty, staff, postdoctoral researchers, and administrators — and together maintain FERPA-protected student education records for hundreds of thousands of enrolled and former students. FERPA requires that student records be rendered unreadable at end of retention with documented evidence of compliant disposal. Our notarized Certificate of Destruction satisfies this requirement on every job.
For Harvard and MIT departments managing federally funded research under DFARS §252.204-7012, certain research data may be designated as Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), requiring NIST SP 800-171 compliant disposal. Our serial-number Certificate of Destruction per device provides the device-level traceability that a DFARS audit requires.
Kendall Square is one of the most concentrated life sciences and technology innovation corridors in the world. Biotech companies, pharmaceutical firms, AI research labs, and venture-backed startups generate proprietary research documentation, clinical pre-trial data, investor materials, employment records, client contracts, and end-of-life IT equipment at a pace that home shredders and retail drop-boxes cannot satisfy.
For Kendall Square companies, the correct disposal framework depends on what the records contain: MA 201 CMR 17 for any personal information about Massachusetts residents; GLBA Safeguards for financial records; ABA Model Rules for any retained legal counsel’s client files; and export control regulations (ITAR/EAR) for defense-related research documentation. Our scheduled recurring service and IT asset disposal cover all of them under a single notarized Certificate of Destruction.
Cambridge Health Alliance, community health centers, Harvard-affiliated research clinics, and the dense network of private practices throughout Harvard Square, Central Square, and East Cambridge generate protected health information that must be rendered unreadable at disposal under 45 CFR §164.530(c). A Business Associate Agreement must be in place before any PHI transfers to a shredding vendor — this is a legal prerequisite, not optional paperwork.
Our BAA satisfies 45 CFR §164.504(e)(2), is available at no cost on written request, and is typically delivered the same day. A $14.95 HIPAA compliance filing applies per engagement. Notarized Certificate of Destruction documenting chain of custody and method of destruction is emailed within 24–48 hours of every PHI disposal job.
“Can you handle paper records and end-of-life lab equipment drives in a single pickup?” — Yes. Here’s how.
Kendall Square life sciences companies regularly decommission laboratory equipment with attached storage media alongside accumulated paper records — clinical protocol documentation, regulatory submission drafts, IP-sensitive R&D notes, and HR files. Handling both categories in separate vendor engagements creates chain-of-custody gaps and documentation inconsistencies that an FDA audit or SOC 2 review will flag.
We handle paper and electronic media in a single pickup visit. Paper is shredded at 99¢/lb. Hard drives, SSDs, lab storage devices, and USB drives are physically destroyed at a quoted rate per device, with each device listed individually by serial number on the Certificate of Destruction. One vendor, one documented chain of custody, one notarized Certificate. Call (978) 636-0301 to discuss your lab’s specific device types and volume before we quote.
Every service Cambridge needs — one published rate
Cambridge Pickup — We Come to You
We come to your Kendall Square lab, Harvard Square office, or Cambridge apartment. Locked vehicle, chain of custody, flat transport fee confirmed before booking.
flat, confirmed first
Drop-Off in Tewksbury
~30 min via I-93 North. No appointment needed. Mon–Fri 10AM–5PM. Staff help you unload. Notarized CoD by email within 24–48 hrs.
no transport fee
HIPAA Medical Shredding
BAA on written request, same day. $14.95 HIPAA filing. Notarized CoD for CHA affiliates and all Cambridge healthcare and research clinic providers.
HIPAA filing
IT Asset & Lab Media Destruction
Physical destruction per device. Serial-number CoD for NIST 800-88, DFARS, and FERPA compliance. Kendall Square lab equipment and campus IT handled.
Scheduled Recurring Service
Locked consoles, regular pickup, notarized CoD every visit. Ideal for ongoing document streams at Kendall Square offices and Harvard-affiliated departments.
Annual Purge & Estate Clearance
Any volume, single visit. Flat rate in writing before we arrive. Cambridge apartment moves, lab decommissions, and residential estate clearances all handled.
Cambridge to Tewksbury — about 30 minutes via I-93 North
Our Tewksbury facility is approximately 30 minutes from Cambridge via I-93 North — the same highway that passes through Cambridge and Somerville. From Kendall Square, I-93 North is accessible in minutes via the McGrath Highway connection. From Harvard Square, it’s a quick run to Alewife and then north on I-93.
Drop-off is walk-in, no appointment, Mon–Fri 10AM–5PM. Free parking. Staff help you unload. For Kendall Square and most Cambridge business clients, pickup at your address is usually more practical — parking constraints and building security make loading a vehicle difficult for larger volumes.
For any Cambridge business, research lab, or healthcare provider where chain-of-custody documentation should begin at your facility, our pickup service comes to your Cambridge address. Same 99¢/lb rate plus a flat transport fee confirmed in writing before we schedule. Call (978) 636-0301 for an immediate Cambridge quote.
Four frameworks — one Certificate of Destruction that satisfies all of them
Cambridge’s compliance stack is unique in Massachusetts. FERPA covers Harvard, MIT, and their many affiliated research institutions. HIPAA covers Cambridge Health Alliance and every independent clinic. MA 201 CMR 17 covers every Cambridge business and resident. And GLBA/FTC covers the financial and legal professional community on Massachusetts Avenue and beyond.
Harvard, MIT & Affiliated Institutions
Student education records must be rendered unreadable at disposal with documented evidence. Notarized CoD satisfies the FERPA documentation standard. Electronic media CoD per device. FERPA guide.
Cambridge Health Alliance & Clinics
PHI must be unreadable at disposal. BAA required before any PHI transfers. 45 CFR §164.504(e)(2). BAA at no cost, same day. $14.95 HIPAA filing. Notarized CoD. HIPAA service.
Financial & Legal Professionals
FTC Safeguards Rule requires documented disposal of customer financial records. ABA Model Rules 1.6 & 1.9 require documented client file disposal. Notarized CoD satisfies both. Law firm guide.
Every Cambridge Business & Resident
Covers every organization — including sole proprietors, startups, and home-based professionals — holding personal information about Massachusetts residents. MA guide.
“We run a private healthcare clinic near Harvard and needed a shredding provider that truly understands HIPAA compliance. MyDocumentShredding.com was responsive, professional, and delivered exactly what we needed. Their documentation and pickup schedule helped us pass a recent audit with confidence.”
What Cambridge clients ask us most
A notarized Certificate of Destruction documenting date, quantity, category of records, method of destruction, and chain of custody — satisfying FERPA’s requirement that student education records be rendered unreadable with documented evidence of compliant disposal. For electronic media, serial-number Certificates of Destruction per device are issued. We can handle paper files and electronic media in a single campus pickup. For federally funded research data designated as Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) under DFARS, call (978) 636-0301 to discuss your specific requirements before we schedule any service.
Yes — both in a single pickup visit. Paper records are shredded at our Tewksbury facility at 99¢/lb. Hard drives, SSDs, lab storage devices, USB drives, backup tapes, and other electronic media are physically destroyed at a quoted rate per device, with each device listed individually by serial number on the Certificate of Destruction. This device-level traceability satisfies NIST SP 800-88, DFARS §252.204-7012, and SOC 2 audit requirements for controlled unclassified information. Call (978) 636-0301 with your device inventory and we will quote both paper and electronic media in a single estimate.
Yes. Somerville has its own dedicated location page at /locations/somerville-ma/. Belmont has its own page at /locations/belmont-ma/. Watertown, Arlington, Waltham, and Lexington are all served on the same I-93 / Route 128 corridor. For any community near Cambridge, call (978) 636-0301 with your address and we’ll confirm service and give you an immediate quote. Drop-off in Tewksbury at 99¢/lb is equally accessible from all of these communities via I-93 North.
Cambridge has the most complex compliance requirements of any city we serve. We’ve navigated all three worlds — academic, innovation, and healthcare — since 2007.
Pickup at your Cambridge address or drop off in Tewksbury at 99¢/lb, no appointment needed, Mon–Fri 10AM–5PM. Notarized Certificate of Destruction on every job. BBB A+, family-owned, zero data breaches.