Why is recycling IT equipment so important for your business?

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Why is recycling IT equipment so important for your business?

 

Is your business committed to recycling IT equipment? It should be.

Did you know that 98% of your old PC can be recycled and re-used? Did you also know that your business mobile phone contains valuable metals which can be recovered?

As we all attempt to live more sustainably, it’s increasingly important that all businesses should be recycling IT equipment wherever possible.

 

Here are the 4 best reasons why recycling IT equipment is vital

 

  • Your business complies with strict WEEE waste rules

The disposal of old IT equipment is covered by the Waste Electric and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) legislation.

This WEEE waste must not be sent to landfill as it can contain such as PCBs, lead, mercury, and coolants which are potentially dangerous to people and the environment.

The regulations set our 14 different categories of WEEE waste. IT and telecommunication equipment form one of the categories.

This includes PCs, laptops, servers, mobile phones, tablets, calculators, printers, and routers.

Each WEEE waste category has its own rules for storage, dis-assembly, and disposal, and it must have the correct paperwork.

 

  • You reduce your landfill costs

Sending items to landfill is also expensive. You face landfill tax and gate fees. So, anything which reduces the overall volume of waste you send to landfill helps reduce your overall business costs.

 

  • Your business becomes more sustainable

Many customers now look at how eco-friendly businesses are before they decide to make a purchase.

Your business needs to operate in this environment and proves its credentials on sustainability.

Recycling your old IT equipment helps you do that

Some recycled equipment can also benefit charities here in the UK or projects in the developing world, showing your commitment to your community or supporting communities abroad.

 

  • You can protect your data

Recycling IT equipment also gives you the chance to ensure the data stored on hard drives is destroyed so that it cannot fall into the wrong hands and cause a data breach.

Simply deleting a file won’t mean someone cannot find it and retrieve it in the future. Shredding the drive, then mixing the metals with other shredded drives and sending that off for recycling is the best way to protect your business.

It also ensures your business is complying with the data protection rules in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Failure to do so can result in a substantial fine.

Make sure your waste and recycling company is like Venture Waste with…

  • Experienced, vetted staff
  • GPS-tracked vans for collections
  • Secure hard drive shredding facilities
  • Certificates of destruction 
  • Certificates to show the amount of IT waste recycled
  • Expert waste consultants

 

Can we help you? Call us on 0333 3600265 or arrange a call back Contact Us. See what services we offer for recycling IT equipment WEEE Collections.

Why it’s important not to let standards slip over confidential data disposal

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Why it’s important not to let standards slip over confidential data disposal

Some days, we bring our A-game. Other days, we’re happy to let things slide a little…but that’s a terrible idea when it comes to your confidential data disposal.

One slip, like throwing out a document containing sensitive information without shredding it, could land your business with a massive headache and a large fine. For example, one London pharmacy was fined £275,000 after it left confidential waste in unlocked containers outside its site.

To avoid that, your confidential data disposal processes must be consistent, and your employees must adhere to them strictly.

 

What is confidential data?

This is data which contains any kind of confidential information which might identify someone – from names and addresses and email addresses to bank details, national insurance numbers, and personnel records.

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which governs the storage and processing of this data also includes IP addresses in this category.

 

What does GDPR say about confidential data disposal?

It says this data must be gathered in the correct way, stored securely, and processed and disposed of safely.

In other words, your business needs to have processes in place to ensure data is stored securely online and in physical documents.

A data controller must be appointed to oversee this.

If there is any data breach involving confidential data, this must be reported to the regulator within 72 hours. In the most serious cases, where there could be financial loss or risk to the people whose data was breached, they must also be informed directly by a business.

If the business’s processes fail, causing a serious breach, then it could face a fine of up to 4% of worldwide annual turnover, or two million euros. The fine limit for less serious breaches is 2% of worldwide annual turnover or ten million euros.

 

How should your business protect itself?

It needs robust cybersecurity to protect your computers and information held online in the cloud.

It also needs to ensure confidential documents and old hard drives are shredded to prevent data from falling into the wrong hands.

Outsourcing your confidential document shredding to a secure shredding company like Venture Waste makes so much sense.

Your staff are freed up to help customers, chase new business, and deliver your goods or services.

You get the peace of mind of shredding to the size of a dust particle, if necessary, by vetted workers at licensed facilities with 24-hour security.

You could also opt for on-site or mobile shredding at your premises, so your sensitive information doesn’t have to leave your site before the documents are destroyed.

Hard drive shredding means no clever hacker is going to be able to retrieve deleted files.

Your business is issued with certificates of destruction for every load which you can show to any regulator like the Information Commissioner as proof of its responsible attitude to confidential data disposal.

The paper and metals produced by the shredding are mixed with other loads and recycled, making your business more sustainable.

Off-site shredding v secure mobile shredding – how does my business choose?

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When your business decides it needs to destroy its confidential waste, there is something important you need to weigh up – off-site shredding v secure mobile shredding.

Your business must comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and ensure the data you hold about your clients and suppliers is treated responsibly.

What’s the best way to ensure your shredding regime achieves that goal?

Here’s our guide to off-site shredding v secure mobile shredding…

 

What is secure mobile shredding?

 

Often called on-site shredding, this is when a shredding company brings its van to your premises.

The van contains a mobile shredder and your documents are destroyed at your site.

You are issued with an immediate certificate of destruction and we take the shredded material away for recycling.

To ensure we can do our work securely, you’ll need a place at your site which cannot be accessed by the public. 

 

Why choose it?

 

Your sensitive documents don’t have to leave your site before they are destroyed, giving you peace of mind that the information included in them cannot be accessed and the data protection rules breached.

You can even watch them being shredded.

This is therefore a good fit for accountants, financial advisors, banks, law firms, dental practices, GP surgeries, opticians, and care providers.

An industrial-sized shredder is used which shreds thousands of document pages in minutes, a far quicker option than getting a member of staff to feed an office shredder by hand.

 

What is off-site shredding?

 

Your confidential waste is sent in GPS-tracked vans to secure facilities where vetted staff destroy it.

You are then sent a certificate of destruction and your waste is recycled.

The premises used for shredding are licensed and have 24-hour security. The staff used to transport your waste are vetted too.

 

Why choose it?

 

If you don’t produce sensitive waste such as medical records or accounts, this could well be the best fit for your company.

Many businesses find this is a cost-effective option for them as it helps you comply with GDPR and frees up your staff to do other things. Think about how effective your business could be if you had more staff chasing new business or dealing with customer enquiries.

Some businesses also don’t have secure areas where secure mobile vans could carry out shredding, particularly those which are home-based or micro-businesses.

 

Need help with the off-site shredding v secure mobile shredding decision?

 

Our experienced waste consultants are happy to advise you on the best fit for your business.

Call us on 0333 3600265

It makes sense for your business to shred everything – and here’s why…

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Want to save your business time and money? It’s time to shred everything…

The days of separating your confidential waste should now be over.

The benefits of taking the decision to shred everything are obvious and here are the three main reasons you should do it… 

 

1. Your staff won’t have to spend hours separating out confidential documents

Forget sorting through bags of documents. Your staff have better things to do! 

Their time is your money.

They could be chasing new business, dealing with your clients, or getting your vital administrative work done such as preparing your books.

It also means they won’t have the burden of deciding what is and isn’t confidential information. 

The risk of human error is reduced.

If all your documents are going for shredding, you can rest easy knowing that all your data is protected.

While you are waiting for them to be shredded, you can store them in lockable cabinets for extra security.

 

2. You’ll keep your business reputation safe and comply with GDPR

Many data breaches begin with information on a discarded document. 

There is also the threat of someone retrieving deleted information from old hard drives or removable media such as USBs or SIM cards.

When businesses suffer a data breach, there is an inevitable loss of trust which goes alongside that.

Your brand’s reputation could take a major hit if your business is at the centre of a breach involving customers’ bank or card details.

Of course, there are also financial consequences – not least the prospect of a substantial fine under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The upper limit for serious breaches is 4% of annual turnover or twenty million euros.

Customers and suppliers who suffer a financial loss because of a breach may also decide to take action against you to recoup those funds, too.

Shredding these documents and hard drives allows you to avoid this threat. You also receive a certificate of destruction which proves your business acted responsibly.

 

 3. You’ll make your business more sustainable

When you send documents for shredding, the waste is mixed with other paper waste, then recycled.

When hard drives are destroyed, the shredded metal is also mixed with other shredded metal waste and sent for reclamation and recycling.

Your business receives notification of how much was recycled from your waste, helping you prove your business is sustainable and helping all of us in the UK reach our recycling targets.

How can you choose the right shredding company?

Look for a business just like Venture Waste with…

  • Vetted and experienced workers
  • Shredding facilities with 24-hour security
  • GPS-tracked vans
  • Certificates of destruction
  • Expert waste consultants
  • Excellent recycling rates

Will your business take the decision to shred everything?

If you need advice on how to implement this policy, send us a message and we will get someone to give you a call.

Take a look at our shredding services here