What should I shred?

You may be aware of the need to shred confidential documents. But what about all those other bits of paper? Do you know what to shred?

If you’re not sure what to shred, then you may be tempted to shred everything. There are some items that you must dispose of responsibly and some documents that you should never shred. We take away the confusion in our latest blog.

Types of personal information

If you deal with customer details including personal information such as date of birth, national insurance number, passport or driving license details then it’s essential not to store these details longer than absolutely necessary. If this information is in printed form, it’s important for compliance with GDPR that you do not keep longer than necessary. Simply scan in and the destroy the original by using a secure shredding service. You can keep the electronic file in an encrypted drive for as long as it is needed.

Bank Statements

It’s a good idea to go paper free with items such as bank statements. This will save you time and hassle scanning in and destroying the postal copy.

How long should I keep documents for?

As a rule, bank and credit card statements, personal finance documents and payslips should be kept for six years. This is in case HMRC need to investigate an issue. It may be worth keeping these documents longer in case you need to make a claim. In the case of PPI claims, many who have kept their personal documents have found it easier to settle compensation.

Receipts

Although receipts do not contain complete information about your card details, given that they contain information about exactly what you have purchased, when and where. Data thieves could collect this information to gain a pattern about your spending habits. Once you’re sure you’re not going to need them any longer, it’s best to shred them.

Avoid leaving a pile of items to be shredded lying around the office. The most secure way of disposal is to use a locked shredding console that can only be opened and removed by an employee of a professional shredding company.

Other items

Don’t forget to shred other items that could be used fraudulently such as airline tickets and expired credit and debit cards. Any items containing your signature also need to be shredded to protect your data security. Don’t forget that CD ROM’s, DVD’s and hard disk drives must also be shredded when no longer needed.

These items can all go into your shredding sack or console to be taken away for secure shredding by a professional company.

What not to shred

There are some pieces of documentation that should never be shredded, such as birth, marriage and death certificates and passports. You must keep these documents stored in a safe place.

Need help with what to shred? Contact The Shredding Alliance for a quote to take away your confidential waste.