The good, the bad and the shreddable

As the saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. And this is particularly true when it comes to how we dispose of our sensitive data and documents.

At Restore Datashred, we believe that these documents can be broken down into three categories; the good, the bad and the shreddable. With this in mind, we’ve compiled a guide to help you understand what items fall into which category.

The good

These are the items that it’s good practice to get into the habit of shredding . Basically, anything with your personal information should be shredded when it’s no longer of use to you. Obviously some items need to be retained for a set period of time. Paperwork such as bank statements, payslips and bills should be destroyed annually in order to protect yourself from identity theft and fraud.

Similarly, some other important documents will need to be shredded after expiration or after a certain timeframe has elapsed. These items include insurance policies and other items which work on a renewal basis. Whilst these items should be shredded eventually, it’s important not to jump the gun. Whilst everyone has digital copies these days, it’s worth having the hard copy until the policy expires.

The bad

There are certain things you shouldn’t ever shred. For businesses, these generally include insurance policies, vehicle titles, loan documents and any business licenses.

While these items shouldn’t be shredded, you should still ensure they don’t fall into the wrong hands by investing in secure storage solutions.

The shreddable

A lot of people still don’t realise that it’s not just documents that can be shredded. Our secure data shredding services extend to many types of confidential materials. From staff uniforms and equipment to designer handbags and accessories, the shredding business extends beyond just paperwork.

You might not realise, but seemingly harmless documents such as old resumes and even travel documents can contain sensitive information. If you find old documents which you know you don’t need, it can often be a case of better safe than sorry. If it has your personal address or details on it – shred it!

If you’re not sure whether something should be shredded, it’s worth asking a professional first. As once they are shredded, you can’t get them back! If you need help disposing of any documents, get in touch today to see how we can help.