Document Shredding

Every organisation generates paper records that may include personal data or sensitive business information. Under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, you must take appropriate measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access or disclosure. Secure disposal of paper records is a key part of this. In practice, that means storing old documents securely until they can be destroyed (for example, in locked confidential bins) and then shredding them in a way that makes reconstruction impossible.

How Shredsec’s Document Shredding Process Works

You fill sacks or boxes and contact Shredsec to arrange a collection time that suits you.
Your documents are shredded on-site or at our secure facility, depending on the service you choose.
You receive a Certificate of Destruction confirming secure disposal.

This applies whether you need a single one-off shredding collection or an ongoing regular shredding contract.

How We Price Your Document Shredding

Shredding is priced by the weight of your material. Since accurately weighing paperwork in advance isn’t always practical, we can provide an estimate based on the volume of material you’re disposing of — for example, the number of:

Black bin liners
Archive boxes
Waste paper sacks

For organisations that generate confidential waste on an ongoing basis, a regular shredding contract typically offers better value than repeated one-off collections.

Examples of Documents That Should Be Shredded

If your organisation holds any of the following, they should be treated as confidential and disposed of through secure shredding rather than general waste:

Job applications, references and interview notes
Personnel and disciplinary records
Payroll, salary and pension records
Customer and client records
Health and medical information
Financial statements and account details
Contracts and legal documentation

This list isn’t exhaustive. If you’re unsure whether a document should be treated as confidential, the safest approach is to shred it.

UK GDPR’s data security principles require appropriate organizational and technical controls, including when disposing of records. The ICO recommends that organisations destroy personal data permanently when it is no longer needed, after an appropriate retention period. Secure destruction methods include cross-cut or micro-cut shredding, and confidential material should be kept in locked storage until destroyed. If you use a third-party provider, have a formal contract and obtain a destruction certificate or receipt as evidence. Failing to protect personal data can lead to enforcement action; the ICO has powers to issue fines (up to £17.5m or 4% of annual global turnover for the most serious breaches) rather than just criminal prosecution.

Shredsec’s document shredding services ensure your material is securely destroyed.

Prevent Industrial Espionage

Commercial documents often contain sensitive information such as business plans, client data and pricing. Shredding these records makes it much harder for competitors or criminals to recover anything useful from your waste. Cross-cut shredding to small pieces, ideally with different batches mixed together, makes reassembly impractical.

Corporate and Professional Services

Many regulated sectors are expected to demonstrate strong governance over how information is handled and disposed of. Financial services firms, for example, are held to standards set by the Financial Conduct Authority. Secure document destruction gives these organisations a clear, documented part of that wider information control.

Prevent Identity Theft

The ICO’s guidance on records disposal points to practical measures such as locked bins for paper containing personal information, and cross-cut shredding or incineration, whether that’s done in-house or through a third party, with confidential waste kept securely until it’s destroyed.

Shredsec’s home shredding services can prevent identity theft.

Prevent Crime

Beyond personal data, paper files often include operationally sensitive details such as alarm codes, entry procedures, internal contact lists or supplier information. Storing this material securely before destruction, then destroying it properly, reduces the risk of it being used to facilitate theft, fraud or unauthorised access.

Waste duty of care and documentation

If you are disposing of business or commercial waste, you may need a waste transfer note (or a document with the same information) for each load of non‑hazardous waste moved off your premises, and both parties should retain records for two years and provide them to enforcement bodies if requested. Local council guidance for Suffolk also highlights checking that anyone taking your waste is a registered waste carrier.

Shredding Security Level

Shredsec destroys documents to P 3 of DIN 66399, producing strips 2mm or less in width, or cross-cut particles no larger than 4mm x 30mm. This makes reconstruction of your material impractical and provides a meaningfully higher level of security than many standard shredding services. Learn more about the different security levels defined by DIN 66399.

Contact Shredsec to discuss your shredding requirements.

Document Shredding (UK GDPR Compliant)