The last few years have seen a rise in concerns regarding crimes involving identity theft. It really is no surprise that businesses and companies across the UK are taking all of the appropriate steps to make sure that their confidential waste is disposed of properly and in line with current data security and safety regulations.

 

Data Protection Act

Under the Data Protection Act 1998, all businesses are responsible for the proper handling and disposal of confidential data, making sure that it is stored and destroyed correctly. This is to prevent the loss or disclosure of sensitive and personal information. Your business could be fined up to £500,000 if you breach this responsibility. On top of this, your business will face extremely bad publicity, resulting in a crippling loss of business.

The Data Protection Act states: ‘Appropriate technical and organisational measures shall be taken against unauthorised or unlawful processing of personal data and against accidental loss or destruction of, or damage to, personal data.’

There are no laws in place to stop members of the general public going through your bins; once you dispose of waste in your bin, it is out of your hands who finds this waste. This is why it is extremely important to ensure that your confidential waste is disposed of correctly.

 

What counts as ‘confidential waste’?

  • Any personal information that can be used to identify individuals (including name, address, financial data or contact numbers)
  • Employee application forms, payslips or records of employment
  • Invoices and quotes
  • Sensitive information regarding physical and mental health information
  • Bank details, ATM receipts, utility bills, credit reports, cancelled cheques

Tips to ensure your confidential waste is disposed of properly

  • Before you throw away any paper waste, double check it to make sure that it does not contain any sensitive or personal information. If it does, you should use a confidential waste disposal company to take care of it.
  • Bag up and lock away any confidential waste before a reputable company comes to dispose of it for you.
  • Try to keep sensitive and personal information on USBs, laptops and PCs rather than paper. When you no longer need the information, you should destroy it.

Let Brewsters dispose of your confidential waste

Brewsters provide confidential waste disposal services for companies across the United Kingdom. When you choose Brewsters, you can rest easy knowing that sensitive and important documents will never be disposed of carelessly; we ensure that all confidential documents are disposed of in line with current data security and safety regulations. Our secure on and off-site shredding is in compliance with BS7858 and carried out by qualified personnel. For more information, visit our website.