The Challenge: Secure and Sustainable Document Destruction for a Net Zero Campus
Abertay University, located in Dundee, is a recognised leader in applied research tackling global challenges. Committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2038, the university embeds sustainability throughout its teaching, operations, and supply chain activities.
As part of its 2023–2030 Sustainable Development Strategy, the University identified the need to improve how confidential paper waste was handled. Prior to partnering with Avena, the institution struggled with limited-service flexibility and lacked the detailed reporting required to track environmental performance and meet data protection obligations under GDPR.
Abertay needed a partner who could ensure secure destruction of sensitive materials, deliver full traceability, and help advance its environmental commitments, all without disrupting day-to-day operations across its city-centre campus.
The Solution: Avena’s SecurAll® Document Destruction Platform
Avena provided Abertay with a customised SecurAll® solution, purpose-built for the secure and sustainable destruction of confidential documents. Designed to meet the needs of education institutions, SecurAll® combines robust GDPR compliance with carbon-saving performance and zero landfill outcomes.
Secure, lockable consoles were installed across the university, enabling staff and departments to safely dispose of confidential paper waste. These are collected by DBS-checked operatives using unmarked, GPS-tracked vehicles with onboard CCTV, ensuring full chain of custody from pickup to destruction.
All documents are shredded at Avena’s secure processing facility, then responsibly recycled into new paper materials via a closed-loop system. Each collection generates an Environmental Impact Statement and Certificate of Destruction, allowing Abertay to monitor volumes, track carbon savings, and report transparently against Scope 3 emissions and public sector sustainability targets.
The Result: Enabling Net Zero Progress While Ensuring Compliance
Through its partnership with Avena, Abertay University now benefits from a scalable and secure process for managing confidential paper waste. The university has enhanced GDPR compliance, streamlined internal processes, and introduced robust data reporting across its waste streams.
The SecurAll® platform also plays a direct role in helping Abertay progress towards its 2038 net zero goal. By ensuring all confidential paper is recycled rather than landfilled, and by providing monthly carbon savings data, Avena’s service supports Abertay’s wider environmental reporting and statutory climate duties.
This collaboration forms part of Abertay’s broader commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and responsible campus operations, demonstrating how universities can lead the way in both data protection and climate action.
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