20 UNTHA
Pulp Paper & Logistics
No room for error
Within the paper recycling supply chain there is a risk that in processing confi denti al documents, data protecti on responsibiliti es are being neglected. Dan Fairest advises a best practi ce approach to ensure compliance with the waste system and the law
improvement when it comes to many individuals’ own domesti c or commercial approach to this acti vity. But when waste paper contains confi denti al or potenti ally sensiti ve informati on, there is no room for error. In the UK, an organisati on’s
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legal responsibility to profi ciently handle such materials is strictly regulated under the Data Protecti on Act 1998, and any breaches of it can lead to fi nes of up to £500,000 being imposed by the Informati on Commissioner’s Offi ce (ICO).
September/October 2015
ew people would contest the importance of waste paper recycling, even if there is room for
Recycling therefore becomes much more complex when handling these materials. Of course the waste hierarchy should be observed and, where possible, the material fi bre preserved to opti mise the recyclate quality. But there is also a pressing need to securely destroy any informati on that could risk breaching data protecti on laws. This isn’t just the case for confi denti al paperwork – packaging labels containing recipient details, bank notes, postage stamps, branded packaging and cheques all fall under the same umbrella. So how should the process be handled? On-site incinerati on is one opti on, but this contradicts
the waste hierarchy and the moral obligati on to retain the value of an important resource. The services of a specialist in
confi denti al waste destructi on is one opti on. A reputable BSEN15713-accredited contractor should be sought, and additi onal due diligence should be carried out to ensure the chosen supplier has proven experience and independently certi fi ed equipment. Such contractors off er on-
site services, using a mobile confi denti al waste shredder, to ensure materials are profi ciently destroyed before they leave the client’s site. Whilst fairly expensive, this gives peace
of mind that data protecti on obligati ons are met, under that customer’s supervision. Using a contractor’s off -site
destructi on service is more cost- eff ecti ve, but is potenti ally more risky. The confi denti al material is in the hands of a third-party, and though it may be trustworthy there is always the possibility of accidents, resulti ng in documents spilling into the road. Given that the data remains the customer’s responsibility unti l the materials reach the contractor’s depot, this can be an unnecessary risk for some. This explains why they will
invest in their own confi denti al waste processing technologies,
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