Guide To Document Shredding

To shred or not to shred?

Nobody likes piles (upon piles) of documents making a mess of our office or living spaces, so naturally, we want to throw them all out.

But the question of ‘what if I need this again one day?’ always remains. So how do you decide which ones to keep and which to send to the shredder?

Some examples of important domestic documents you should keep include:

• Certificates – e.g. birth certificates, marriage or civil partnership certificates, exam and qualification certificates.

• Bank/credit card statements – if these are over 6 months old then you can go ahead and send these to the shredder.

• Medical records – your NHS number, vaccination records, medical condition records, etc.

• Insurance documents – car insurance, home insurance, life insurance, etc.

• Wills & last testament/Power of attorney – the final signed copies of these documents are extremely important, but you can go ahead and get rid of any drafts.

Some business documents you should keep on hand are:

• Tax records – including a record of all business income, purchases and sales of business assets, invoices for purchases and other expenses, a record of any money you take from the business account for personal use, as well as money paid in from personal funds.

• VAT documents – copies of all invoices you issue or receive, self-billing agreements, the names/addresses and VAT numbers of self-billing suppliers, records of items you can’t reclaim VAT on, debit or credit notes, and general business records (bank statements, cash books, paying-in slips and till rolls).

• Employment documents – PAYE and payroll records, HMRC reports, payments you make to HMRC, employee leave and sickness absences, tax code notices, taxable expenses or benefits, proof that you pay your staff national minimum wage or national living wage, accidents records, pension scheme payment records, health and safety records.

How do document shredding services work?

Once you’ve sorted through your documents and determined what you’re getting rid of, you can fill your own boxes or bags – or we can supply them for you.

As soon as you’re ready, we’ll come to collect your unwanted paperwork – at your home or workplace – and transport it to our secure facility in Cambridge.

We’ll then store your documents until they’re ready to be destroyed with our state-of-the-art industrial shredders.

Don’t worry about having to remove staples or paperclips – our shredder will destroy these along with your papers.

All shredded remains are recycled, and we’ll provide you with a Certificate of Destruction upon completion – legal proof that all of your household or business documents have been securely destroyed.

If you’d prefer to witness your documents being shredded, we can bring our services to you for that bit of added reassurance.

Why is document shredding so important?

There are a few reasons why document shredding is so important.

The most obvious benefit is that it helps clear up your space.

Whether you’re in the office or at home, why would you want loads of old documents lying around? Not only is it impractical, but it’s a sight for sore eyes.

Shredding your documents will help clear your space to make way for more important things.

For businesses, shredding old, outdated documents is required by law to ensure the confidentiality of staff and clients.

There are penalties in place for businesses that fail to comply with privacy regulations set out by the government, and these fines can be as much as 4% of your annual turnover!

Last, but certainly not least, shredding your confidential documents can help to prevent identity theft and fraud.

You might be thinking how likely is it for someone to rummage through your bins just to steal your identity – but it does happen.

In fact, as many as 5.7 million people have fallen victim to identity fraud in the last 12 months.

So, it’s safe to say that document shredding, whether it be commercial or domestic, is a must.