We know that recycling is good for the planet and that it’s essential to foster a recycling program at work. But what about the disposal of those confidential pages of paperwork and files? You want to dispose of them in a safe way for the environment without sacrificing your business’ security.
We have three solutions to improve your recycling program at work to keep company secrets… well, secret!
#1 Install Recycling Stations
To help your employees stay on top of disposing of confidential paperwork, establish designated recycling stations. This involves a few steps:
- Remove open recycling bins around the office and at employees’ desks.
- Place locked consoles that are sized for different materials (e.g., a small slit for regular paperwork; a large slit for thick manuscripts).
- Label bins with clear instructions to educate others on proper recycling practices.
- Smaller business? Invest in a shredder and have a designated role for recycling shredded paper.
#2 Get it in Writing
Whatever way you decide to dispose of important documents at work, make sure you write the procedures and rules down.
We recommend publishing a company-wide shred-all policy that’s available to all your employees. This policy would mean that all documents are shredded once they’re no longer needed so that your employees can remove the guesswork. Shred-all policies have several benefits:
- Simplify the process for improved compliance
- Increase privacy and confidentiality
- Protect your clients and yourself
It also doesn’t hurt to have infographics posted around the office, especially in document-heavy zones, like the printing area, file room, or designated recycling area (hint hint).PRO TIP: Thinking about adopting a shred-all policy? This is a great time to reassess how protected your digital documents are. You need to consider access levels on shared drives, employee USB sticks and hard drives, and even old, legacy hardware (remember that dusty old computer sitting in the corner?). Explore best practices and get some policies in place.
#3 Hire A Professional
One of the best ways to guarantee your paperwork will stay secure and confidential is to hire professionals to dispose of your documents. Western Archives is the perfect fit if you’re considering bringing in some extra help for frequent document disposal or a one-time purge.
Depending on your needs, we can shred your documents both on- or off-site. In both situations, you can rest easy knowing that we handle your documents with maximum security and care. Here’s how we do it:
- We use locked consoles so that no one has access who shouldn’t.
- We have a secure chain of custody for emptying and transporting documents.
- We use industrial-level shredding machines, so your paper turns into confetti.
You can feel good about choosing Western Archives to do the job. We guarantee we’ll recycle 100% of the paperwork we shred and that it won’t end up in the landfill.
