Confidential waste is a growing problem across the globe with more and more companies taking the first steps to becoming paperless. This means they’re scanning documents to store online, making them easy to access, but this means you’re left with the originals to get rid of through confidential waste destruction.
Global consumption of paper has increased by almost half since 1980. The average UK office worker uses 10,000 sheets of paper each year. With more paper being used, there is a growing need for proper confidential waste incineration to ensure sensitive information does not fall into the wrong hands.
What is confidential waste?
Confidential waste is defined as any personal information that can be used to identify individuals, including their name, address, contact numbers or any financial data including:
- Invoices and quotes
- Employee application forms
- Records of employment or payslips
- Bank details
- Education or medical record
- Memos, notes, emails or letters
It is a legal requirement to dispose of confidential documents correctly. Failure to comply could result in a huge £500,000 fine and the potential of imprisonment that your company can be sentenced with for failing to comply. You will also be faced with the severely damaging bad publicity and increased loss of business that you will suffer as a repercussion of having a data breaches, the results of which can cripple your business.
Ways to dispose of confidential waste
There are a number of ways you can dispose of your company’s confidential waste:
- Shredding
- Recycling
- Re-use
- Incineration
Many companies choose to pay external confidential waste disposal companies to get rid of their waste. Once the company has shredded it, they will probably recycle it, or it could end up in landfill.
This is a concern because it means that your confidential information is still out there for somebody to find. The shredded remains of your sensitive documents could also end up in different parts of the world if they are sold on to waste or recycling companies.
Did you know that paper accounts for 28% of landfill?
https://www.letsrecycle.com/prices/efw-landfill-rdf-2/efw-landfill-rdf-2019-gate-fees/
Landfill gate fees for 2019 are currently £109.35 – £118.35 per tonne. With the government now adding tax onto the cost, the process of disposing waste on landfill is forever on the rise!
Can I burn/incinerate sensitive paperwork?
Destruction by incineration is the most complete and reliable method for highly sensitive documents and papers and guarantees secure destruction. With incineration, you don’t have to worry about leaving your private and confidential waste in the hands of external companies. It also gives you peace of mind knowing that your documents are completely destroyed and there is no way they can be traced once incinerated.
With the expense of employing an external company to collect your data, on top of landfill costs and added tax, having and incinerator to do it for you on site is a better value for money
How we can help
At Inciner8, we offer 2 incinerators that would be perfect for the disposing of your confidential material.
Sirocco model supports the requirements of destroying waste at source, removing the risk of onward contamination both efficiently and safely. It is small, mobile and compact and is perfect for offices and small businesses.
i8-55S model is a mid range general incinerator. When you need capacity and performance this model is ideal. The i8-55S General Incinerator is a simple and effective incinerator from our medium range, perfect for the destruction of your confidential data.
With the expense of employing an external company to collect your data, on top of landfill costs and added tax, having and incinerator to do it for you on site is a better value for money without the risk of your personal data getting into the wrong hands.
Further reading
· Click here for tips on how you can become a paperless business.
· Read more on the legal requirements of data storage and disposal.
