Confidential Waste Disposal

Confidential waste refers to discarded physical documents or devices that contain personal or sensitive information about individuals, employees, customers, or businesses. This can include employee data, CVs, ID scans, employment records, payroll information, customer data, medical records, and any items that have the harm to cause identity theft.

It can be any waste within an office environment that contains sensitive information and requires specialist disposal. For businesses, any breaches of the Data Protection Act and GDPR can result in significant fines and cause long-lasting damage to the reputation of your business. It is therefore imperative that information such as customer details, employee records, and supplier information is all disposed of in a compliant manner.

Reconomy can provide everything you need to ensure your sensitive information is permanently destroyed, giving you long-term peace of mind. Whether you require mobile shredding or off site shredding, we can oversee the safe disposal and document shredding of all your confidential waste. With our confidential waste collection and shredding service, we protect the integrity of your business and the safety of your staff and customers from identity theft.

Each of Reconomy’s supply partners has been pre-approved by our internal auditing teams. This saves you the hassle of finding a compliant service provider and ensures that you will receive an efficient and reliable service. All our confidential waste disposal partners hold ISO 9000 (quality management standard) and ISO 14000 (environmental management standard) accreditations and are members of the BSIA (British Security Industry Association). All drivers and collection personnel are also fully DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checked.

Two important laws related to confidential waste are the Data Protection Act 1998 and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The Data Protection Act requires companies to use specialist confidential waste management services for shredding confidentially. GDPR extends the protection of personal data to electronically held information as well. Non-compliance with these regulations can lead to fines and legal action.

Businesses should comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and understand their legal obligations regarding the protection and disposal of confidential information. This includes appointing a data protection officer or data controller, ensuring secure protection of personal data, and implementing appropriate measures to prevent security breaches. Failure to comply with GDPR can result in significant penalties.

To correctly manage and dispose of confidential waste, businesses should have a clear understanding of the different types of confidential documents they handle. It’s crucial to implement secure storage measures for confidential paper documents, such as locked cabinets or secure rooms. Confidential waste disposal should be audited and carried out through appropriate methods, such as using confidential waste bins and arranging for secure shredding services.

When choosing a confidential waste bin, it’s important to consider factors such as capacity, security features, and compliance with data protection regulations. Look for bins that have lockable lids or are tamper-proof to ensure the confidentiality of the waste. It’s also essential to arrange regular collection and shredding of confidential waste.