Summer is nearly over, the schools will soon be back and for many of us, September brings a familiar feeling of getting back into a routine.
It’s also a great opportunity for a fresh start.
Whether it’s paperwork that has accumulated at home over the summer or filing cabinets at work that haven’t been tackled for months, now is a good time to clear the clutter and securely dispose of documents you no longer need.
But before filling the recycling bin, it’s worth checking what information those old papers contain.
Why September Is a Good Time for a Clear-Out
The beginning of autumn often feels like a second New Year. Holidays are coming to an end, children are returning to school and businesses are getting back into their usual routines.
That makes it an ideal time to tackle some of the jobs that have been put off.
At home, that could mean sorting through overflowing drawers, old folders or paperwork taking up valuable cupboard space.
For a business, it might be archived customer records, financial paperwork or old employee files that are no longer required.
Clearing unnecessary paperwork doesn’t just create more space. Disposing of confidential documents correctly can also help protect personal and business information.
What Documents Should You Shred?
Before throwing old paperwork into your household or office recycling, check whether it contains information that you wouldn’t want someone else to see.
Documents worth securely shredding can include:
- Bank and credit card statements
- Old bills and utility statements
- Payslips
- Tax and financial records that no longer need to be retained
- Medical paperwork
- Copies of identification
- Customer or client records
- Employee information
- Contracts and correspondence
- Documents containing names, addresses or account details
If you’re unsure whether something contains confidential information, secure shredding is usually the safer way to dispose of it.
Clearing Paperwork at Home
It’s surprisingly easy to accumulate years’ worth of documents at home. A drawer becomes a cupboard, a cupboard becomes several boxes and eventually dealing with it feels like a much bigger job than it needs to be.
A professional domestic shredding service can make clearing old paperwork much easier.
Rather than spending hours feeding documents through a small household shredder, your paperwork can be collected and securely destroyed for you. It’s particularly useful if you’re having a larger clear-out, preparing to move house or simply want to reclaim some space before autumn.
Time for an Office Clear-Out?
The same problem happens in workplaces.
Filing cabinets and archive boxes can quickly fill with documents that are no longer required. However, businesses need to be particularly careful when disposing of paperwork containing personal or commercially sensitive information.
A one-off shredding service is ideal if you have accumulated a large volume of documents but don’t require regular collections.
For businesses that continuously generate confidential paperwork, a regular scheduled shredding service can provide a more convenient long-term solution, with documents securely stored and collected at agreed intervals.
Don't Forget About Data Protection
For businesses, clearing out old documents isn’t simply about creating a tidier office.
Under UK data protection requirements, personal information should not be retained indefinitely without a valid reason, and organisations need appropriate measures for securely disposing of information when it is no longer required.
Having a clear document retention policy and a secure process for destroying confidential paperwork can therefore form an important part of responsible data management.
Secure Shredding That's Better for the Environment
A clear-out doesn’t have to mean sending more waste to landfill.
At Secure Shredding, all paper we collect is securely shredded, pulped and 100% recycled. This ensures confidential information is permanently destroyed while allowing the paper itself to be responsibly recycled.
So you can clear some space, protect sensitive information and recycle your unwanted paperwork at the same time.
Start September with a Clear Desk & a Clear Mind
With summer drawing to a close and normal routines returning, now is the perfect opportunity to tackle the paperwork you’ve been meaning to sort out.
Whether it’s a few boxes of personal documents at home, an overflowing office archive or an ongoing supply of confidential business paperwork, the Secure Shredding team can help.
Ready for an end-of-summer clear-out? Get in touch with Secure Shredding today to arrange secure document shredding for your home or business.