Data destruction - what it could cost you

According to Home Office figures, identity fraud is costing the UK £1.7 billion a year - that’s £35 a head for the entire population. Hardly surprising when roughly 60 million people in the UK use sheets of paper to exchange information.

In fact, it is estimated that 95 percent of business information is still stored on paper and that 115 billion sheets of paper are used annually in offices. Records and reports containing confidential information have to be stored in locked rooms, cabinets and/or desks when not in use, so space is another consideration for companies.

Destroying and recycling confidential data by businesses is now more important than ever, as highlighted by the recent spate of security breaches by MPs and regional councils.

RECYCLE MORE
So, how can we make an impact on identity fraud and the production of vast amounts of paper? The answer of course is to use less paper and recycle more as recycled paper doesn’t retain confidential data.

In the UK it is estimated that recycling saves more than 18 million tons of C02 a year – the equivalent of taking five million cars off the road. The recycling of card and paper products in recent years has moved on leaps and bounds, but we still have a long way to go.

Complying with confidentiality and data protection laws should also help businesses avoid the possibility of expensive litigation. A number of ICO fines have been imposed on big companies guilty of not securing customer data properly. Last year, for example, HSBC was fined by the FSA when customer data was lost twice.
As the general public are becoming increasingly eco-aware, it is vital that organisations demonstrate a real sense of responsibility on environmental matters.
Businesses need to be able to reassure markets, shareholders, customers, the authorities and the world in general that they are doing everything they can to reduce the effects of over-consumption and pollution.

CARBON EMISSIONS
Jim Watson, Managing Director of Shred Easy, one of the UK’s largest confidential data shredding companies, believes corporate policies are becoming more ecologically responsible.

“In the developed world, the G20 governments are pressing ahead with sweeping legislation covering carbon emissions,” says Watson.
“Enlightened sections of industry have responded to this challenge by looking at the many different ways paper waste can be reduced. Unless compelled to do so by law, few organisations will expend resources on recycling for purely ethical or altruistic reasons. They will base decisions on hard-nosed commercial reality.
“Shred Easy collected, destroyed and recycled more than 20,000 tonnes of confidential material last year. The process helps the environment, conserves resources, saves energy and reduces landfill.”

Almost 98 per cent of the destroyed material is recycled. Recyclers work with customers to ensure the paper they dispose of contains minimal contamination from things like plastic wallets, glossy magazines and lever-arch files. The less contamination there is, the more paper gets recycled. Once shredded, it is baled, recycled and re-used as raw material for household and office paper products.

Professional shredding of confidential waste means documents, folders and files are completely destroyed with no chance of being used in any way again.
Despite the recession the shredding industry is growing rapidly, but businesses need to ensure they use a reputable supplier. Shred Easy is accredited with the relevant ISO standards and sets a number of targets and objectives, one of which is the monthly recycling rate percentage. This drives the company to achieve higher recycling rates every month.

MOBILE SHREDDING
One way businesses, especially those based in city centres, are tackling the destruction of confidential data is to use ‘mobile shredders’.
“Trucks arrive at companies and shred confidential material on the premises, taking the shredded material away to be recycled,” explains Watson. “This is key for two reasons. Firstly, the security of documents is improved if paperwork is shredded before the eyes of a customer and secondly, it’s more cost effective as there are fewer chains in the shredding and transportation process.”

The latest mobile shredding trucks are designed to minimise carbon emissions. They are smaller, lighter and quieter. And they can visit businesses around a city with minimum disruption.

“Shred Easy has developed an Urban Shredder, an advanced mobile shredding unit, which only weighs 7.5 tonnes,” adds Watson. “It operates with a more compact engine than its predecessors and its reduced weight means it uses less oil and unleaded fuel when being driven or during the shredding process. It is more cost effective and has less impact on the environment.”

Just six metres in length, the Urban Shredder is the shortest mobile shredding vehicle on the market. Its manoeuvrability, coupled with a greater range of driver options, means it provides higher levels of service. Drivers can zip in and out of towns and cities more easily. What’s more, while the truck size has been reduced, the shred speed remains the same.

'LEAN AND GREEN'
Gary Dawson, of Kuehne & Nagel, the global supply chain company, has been using a mobile shredding company for a number of years because the service is cost effective and good for the environment: "We're in the supply chain business so it's important that all our own processes are as lean and green as possible,” says Dawson.

"Our on-site shredding company comes to us every four weeks. Our files, folders and old CDs can be destroyed right in front of our eyes. This is reassuring because we know that our data is being disposed of securely. The process is convenient, saves time and saves money as we don't have to employ a driver to transport our waste to a depot. Plus we're doing our bit for the environment by reducing our carbon footprint.
"We treat our confidential data very seriously indeed and we have our own internal policies to deal with it. Every member of staff knows how to identify, securely store and check the destruction of our confidential waste."