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There are two watchwords to any end-of-year clear-out in the education sector: security and sustainability.
It’s that time of year when thoughts turn to how to make systems and processes smoother and more efficient for the 2026-27 academic year and clearing out all your obsolete paper has got to be near the top of the list. In fact, just freeing up some space would be nice!
Education is one of those sectors where, despite the introduction of digital technologies playing a huge role in lessons, planning and research across multiple settings, paper usage remains stubbornly high.
Did you know?
- The average primary school in this country will use between 300,000 to 1 million sheets of paper each academic year, adding up to around 45kg of paper waste per student, per annum. This is because, in the classroom, worksheets, exercise books and arts and crafts are still used to stimulate visual and hand-eye coordination, creativity, and literacy. School offices may well rely on paper to ensure their communications with parents and carers get across to all groups in their community, frequently with personal data attached.
- At a typical secondary school, while the uptake of digital technologies is higher than among younger age groups, consumption sits at around 1 million pieces of paper in printouts, photocopies and family/carer communications.
- The largest volume of paper usage is encountered in higher education. A typical university might get through many millions of sheets of paper each academic year, depending on the size of the institution and its student population. Research shows* that whether a place specialises in sciences, engineering or law – all top generators of physical coursework – or humanities makes a difference to paper churn. While digitisation projects have successfully reduced paper use in areas such as prospectuses and communications, there is nevertheless much sensitive data generated on paper that must remain protected on site until it is removed to be correctly processed off site.
*Quora
- Associated with education, of course, are examinations, starting in primary school and continuing up to first degree level, and beyond. Many subjects still place emphasis on paper-based exams as a way of proving authenticity, meaning a high volume of paperwork is created at bulge times across the year, the bulk of which will require secure disposal to maintain individual and institutional confidentiality.
There are risks attached…
Security
Of the serious breaches in data security reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) by educational establishments each year – around 700-1,000 – a resounding 75% are classified as non-cyber breaches, ie, lost hard-copy and paperwork, misplaced files and misdirected email. Many leaks also come from students accessing printouts or finding passwords and other sensitive information jotted on pieces of paper.
These are all damaging to your school or college’s standing and, for younger students, a safeguarding issue. The information you, and your students, generate about people, ideas – anything – that is original, personal, or that could have commercial value for data thieves – identities, academic records, banking details, health details, scientific and theoretical breakthroughs – has a legal requirement to be kept safe until such time as you should dispose of it.
Our accreditations
Sustainability
Across the education sector, strenuous efforts continue to be made to reduce paper consumption and waste, and to ensure that when paper does enter the waste stream it is recycled. The University of Manchester, for instance, has aggressively cut its paper usage since 2018 to reduce spending and carbon footprint impacts, now recycling around 160 tonnes of office paper alone each year.*
*University of Manchester website
Paper is a recyclable material, par excellence. It can be re-manufactured into new paper products up to seven times over, which saves virgin wood pulp, energy, water and CO2 emissions in the process. It’s a no-brainer that we should, all of us, be recycling as much as we can. The schools sector does already embrace recycling as a sustainability marker and as an educational tool for young students, of course, but we can all do more! Estimates* put the combined recycling rate for schools at only around 20-25%, when national rates across businesses and households are up around 70%!
*Business Waste magazine
As our old school reports might have said: could do better!
Act now, relax over the summer
The long and the short of it is, as we head deeper into June, archived administrative paperwork may be reaching the end of its retention period, exam papers are stacking up, a year’s worth of primary school artwork (the pieces that never made it home, naturally) is starting to fray round the edges and it’s evidently time to have a clear out.Now is the best time to prepare ahead for the next academic year, and Datashred can help you securely dispose of sensitive documents that free up valuable office, teaching and storage spaces in readiness for the autumn, while guaranteeing your peace of mind that all sensitive data is protected on to our blades, and beyond into recycling.
Term Time ShreddingTop marks for security and sustainability
We understand the pinch points, financially and timewise, which is why we offer a specially tailored package for schools and colleges, backed by our accredited membership of the Schools’ Supplier Network.
Term package
if your turnover of paper is moderate, this is for you. Scheduled visits at the end of each academic term.
Half-term package
if you’re a larger place or have a higher turnover of paper waste, we collect your locked bins every six weeks during term time.
Regular visits
suitable for busy schools and colleges or, perhaps, where storage space is squeezed, these visits are timetabled in for every four weeks except for during the longer summer holidays. Opting for regular visits means little build up of confidential paper waste and no need for a major de-clutter. Easy!
Every transaction with us is supported by…
Our unbeaten track record in keeping your data and assets completely secure from your place to our shredding blades (on- or off-site, your choice!), built from good working relationships between your teams and ours.
The guarantee that 100% of your paper documents will be shredded and recycled, thus helping you meet your environmental commitments and achieve your sustainability goals.
At Restore Datashred, we’ll help you meet your compliance obligations.
We know that managing a diverse array of sensitive data can be a challenge, but our services are structured to simplify this, ensuring your school or institution’s full compliance with all relevant regulations to deliver genuine peace of mind. Call, in confidence, one of our knowledgeable customer support team on 0800 376 4422, or complete our online form, and start embracing clear spaces and a clear mind.
PS…
While we’ve got your attention, as school educators, would you be interested in helping your students learn about how recycling works, in real life? We recently conducted an outreach day for a local primary school at our Manchester destruction centre, and the children were fascinated and excited to see how the blades slice and chomp, how materials are sorted, and the how recycling fits into the circular economy. Interested? Get in touch below.
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