Why do I need to shred paper?

Shredding paper. You may have heard that it’s a good idea, but do you know why?

Here are 6 ways that shredding paper and old confidential documents is a great plan.

To avoid a data breach in accordance with GDPR

With GDPR still very much in the forefront of our minds, it’s imperative that you have a robust policy in place to protect your confidential data from theft. Important or sensitive documents left scattered around the office or thrown in your regular waste paper bin leaves your business wide open to a potentially damaging data breach. The simple use of lockable filing cabinets and utilising a shredding console to safely post old documents are easy ways to guard against a costly and embarrassing business data breach.

To protect your staff from identity theft

HR record files or information on personal development are documents that all need to be safely stowed to protect employees from data theft at work. Staff can help protect themselves from a data breach by not printing out payslips in the office and keeping any personal documents in staff room lockers.

To reduce the risk of a fire hazard

Reams of old paper files and documents that are stacked in your storeroom are not only a trip hazard but could also pose a fire risk. A good way of removing old paper files is to start identifying key documents, scanning to a server and then bagging the old documents into secure shredding sacks. These sacks can then be taken away by a professional shredding company. You could either choose to have your waste collected as a one off, or as a regular scheduled service.

To save space

Struggling for office space either to fit in new employees or to create room for new equipment? Then why not set aside an afternoon for a satisfying declutter? Not only will a working space free of paper help you to become more productive, you may discover you have more space between desks, or could cut down on the amount of office space you rent out. All your redundant office papers can be easily collected by a mobile shredding truck and destroyed at your work premises.

To save the environment

Paper is one of the easiest materials on earth to recycle. We think nothing of recycling newspapers and cardboard packaging at home. The workplace should be no different. When your old documents are removed for shredding, they are baled at a depot before being sent to a paper mill for pulping, mixing with new fibres then made in to recycled paper products. Most of the shredded paper is made into paper towels or newspaper. You can cement your commitment to a greener workplace by shredding paper.

To save time

Are you currently shredding paper by using a small office shredding machine? You could save many mundane hours slumped over a machine feeding paper through a slot by hiring a professional company. Industrial mobile shredding trucks destroy reams of paper within seconds. It no longer makes sense to shred your paper in house when you could simply post any confidential waste paper into a locked console to be taken away by a fully compliant shredding company.

If you’re still shredding paper in-house, or if you are looking for a robust, reliable shredding service, then please contact the professionals at The Shredding Alliance for a quote.