Why use a Shredding Service?

Why use a Shredding Service?

All businesses in the UK that handle confidential documents could benefit from a shredding service. There are numerous reasons for using a confidential data destruction service, some of which we will explain in detail now.

The Data Protection Act (1998) requires all companies to protect their employees, customers and suppliers by safeguarding their confidential information and disposing of it in an appropriate, secure manner when it is no longer needed. In addition to heavy financial penalties (the Information Commissioner’s Office can impose fines of up to £500,000 for breaches of the Data Protection Act), details of your data breach could be published which could affect the reputation of your business. If any individual has suffered loss, distress or damage as a consequence of your actions, you may also be liable to pay compensation to them.

Having an office shredder may seem to be a more convenient solution with a one-off cost. However, there can be a number of problems with using in-house shredders. For example, removing objects such as staples and paper clips can take up valuable time, in addition to having a member of staff standing at the machine. With costly maintenance and repair charges on top of this, it can often end up costing you more in the long term. Plus, some shredding machines shred your documents into thin spaghetti strips which can be easily reconstructed.

Outsourcing your business shredding can give you the peace of mind that your confidential documents have been disposed of in compliance with the Data Protection Act. Our service means that you get a Certificate of Destruction to prove that your waste has been disposed of securely and our powerful shredders mean that you don’t need to remove staples or paper clips.

Using our secure shredding service, we ensure that 100% of your confidential waste is recycled after it has been shredded. Any paper waste is sent to a mill where it is converted into recycled paper products. Even our media destruction service ensures that as much material as possible is recycled: this involves our team removing any potentially hazardous components (for example, laptop screens contain hazardous chemicals that need to be disposed of separately) and then recycling each element separately. This service is fully compliant and uses safe, audited recycling and disposal outlets.

So, with an audit trail to prove that you are compliant with the Data Protection Act and the peace of mind that your confidential waste is being disposed of responsibly, the benefits of investing in a shredding service are great. Our own service is ISO 9001 and BS 15713 accredited with our operatives holding advanced DBS checks. You can choose the most convenient solution for you: whether you would like your documents shredded on-site or at our secure facility, we can handle both. We install free lockable shredding consoles in your office and assess your confidential waste to ensure that we are giving you the right service level.

So, to stay compliant with confidential data destruction for your business, contact us today for some more information or to get a quote.