Local Shredding and Confidential Waste Disposal Services

Searching online for ‘confidential shredding services near me’ brings up hundreds of many different options for confidential document destruction, some more secure than others.

Some companies only offer paper shredding, some more general confidential waste disposal and others specialise in digital data destruction such as old hard drives and USB memory sticks.

In some cases, you can drop your documents off at a local depot and watch them go into the shredding unit.  Some local document destruction companies offer to bring a mobile shredding unit to your office, whilst others charge a fee for emptying lockable document bins on a scheduled basis.  Which service is best for you personally depends on a number of factors such as location, industry and the type and amount of personal data you handle. 

Finding a local confidential recycling firm that handles all your data and IP protection needs is difficult.  It’s not just paper shredding that’s needed; old work uniforms branded PPE, expired ID badges and hard drives all need to be put beyond the reach of criminal or fraudulent use.

At Avena, we are passionate about helping organisations find the most cost-effective solution to keeping data management compliant, secure – and green.  Secure data destruction should not be the end of it.  Avena recycles the security shredded paper or textile fibre here in the UK, making it easy for your staff to do the right thing.  By minimising transport miles, and preventing landfill you save money whilst reducing emissions.

Under the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act, all organisations are required to train their staff on how and when they should store or process personal data.  Preventing accidental loss, not keeping data for longer than necessary and being able to account for the security of data at all times are some of the important principles of the GDPR.  This means that personal data destruction must be made in a secure and auditable way.

There are also other reasons why you may want to prevent confidential information from falling into the wrong hands; for example, if you are working with commercially-sensitive information that could damage your business interests if it were leaked to competitors or the public domain.

Although office shredding machines are still sometimes used, many of these don’t comply with GDPR requirements in terms of paper strip width and length.  In-house shredding also makes it more difficult to prove compliance, a specialist confidential document destruction company like Avena will provide you with a certificate of destruction for every batch.

Avena guarantees the security of your confidential waste from the moment you dispose of it until it has been destroyed, and our powerful shredding equipment takes both high volumes of paper and data storage devices such as flash drives and discs in its stride.

Local GDPR-Compliant Document Shredding

We provide secure confidential waste destruction services to public and private sector organisations of all sizes throughout the local region, offering three shredding service options that can be combined to suit the needs of your organisation while complying with GDPR.

Local Off-Site Shredding Services

Our PROTECTR lockable consoles protect your confidential waste but blend effortlessly into the office environment. Once documents are placed in the console they can only be removed by our BS7858 security-vetted, DBS-checked customer service representatives.

When the console is full, all you need to do is scan a QR code on the console using our specially-designed app. This will notify us that a collection needs to be made and we will confirm this with you.  Unlike some shredding companies that charge whether the bin needs collecting or not, doing it this way can save you a lot of costs.

On arriving at your premises our customer service representative will transfer the console’s contents directly to our secure vehicle for transport to our shredding facility.

To maximise security we only use our specially-adapted fleet of vans to collect confidential waste. These are unmarked to prevent the general public from knowing the confidential nature of their contents and are fitted with both closed-circuit television cameras and real-time satellite tracking.

On arrival at our CCTV-protected shredding facility, your confidential waste will only be handled by our security-vetted staff.

Local On-Site Shredding Services

If you want to add another level of security to your data destruction or have a large volume of confidential waste to destroy within a short timeframe, on-site shredding may be the best option.

For on-site shredding, we bring our mobile, vehicle-mounted shredding unit to your premises where you can personally witness the confidential waste being destroyed. If required, you can even carry the waste out to the vehicle to minimise third-party handling.

As soon as the shredding is complete and before we leave your premises we will issue a certificate of destruction for the consignment, allowing you to maintain accurate records of GDPR compliance (with our off-site services the certificate will be sent to you when the consignment has been destroyed).

Local Textile Destruction And Recycling Services

We have seen increasing demand for the secure destruction of textiles and garments rather than reusing and recycling, but the reasons for this are quite valid.

Preventing Impersonation

It is a serious crime to impersonate a member of the emergency services, but although it carries severe penalties and can endanger lives, some people still attempt it.

Criminals will also use other uniforms such as those of security companies, utility providers, and charities to gain access to private homes or restricted areas.

If your organisation’s uniforms could help unscrupulous persons commit a crime, you have a responsibility to control what happens to them once they are no longer required.

Protecting A Brand

The value of a fashion brand can be severely damaged if textiles or finished garments showing manufacturing defects are released for sale. Even an end-of-season surplus can affect the retail price of clothing if shoppers postpone purchases, knowing they will be able to pick up a bargain.

Another threat to genuine brands is counterfeit clothing. Once these fake goods have been seized, only destruction can guarantee they won’t eventually find their way back onto the market.

As an ISO 14001 certified company, we are committed to reducing waste and the environmental impact of landfill. That’s why we repurpose the fibres that are a byproduct of the shredding process in new products such as the inner filling of acoustic office screens.

Local IT And Media Destruction Services

WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) affects us all – regulations that apply to anyone disposing of used electrical and electronic goods, not just equipment manufacturers and resellers.

WEEE has been introduced to reduce the volume of goods going to landfill sites and to encourage the recovery and separation of the recyclable materials, valuable components, and hazardous substances they often contain.

WEEE applies to many products used in the office environment, including

• Laptops & Computers
• Laser and inkjet printers
• Servers
• Coffee machines, kettles, fridges, etc.
• Network switches, hubs, routers and firewalls
• Other miscellaneous IT equipment

Where electrical items contain data storage components such as hard drives we also ensure these are securely destroyed to protect your data.

For more information on our hard drive shredding service, please contact us today – we understand the need for secure and confidential hard drive destruction and are looking forward to working on a solution that delivers for everyone.

Your Secure Data Destruction In Our Safe Hands

Working for clients in the education, finance, healthcare, and legal sectors, we must demonstrate our competence and integrity.

• We follow the BSEN:15713-2009 Code of Practice to ensure your confidential waste is destroyed following GDPR requirements
• We are ISO 9001 certified to guarantee you receive consistent service quality and security procedures are adhered to at all times
• We are ISO 14001 registered to demonstrate our commitment to the environment through effective waste management
• We are ISO 45001 certified, covering all aspects of occupational health and safety to provide a safe working environment