Confidential waste

In educational institutions, large volumes of exams scripts and other confidential waste are disposed of each year, either to incinerators or to landfill. As a result of the Data Protection Act 1998, which came into force in March 2000, an increasing amount of paper with personal information has to be disposed of via the confidential route. You should check the policies drawn up by your institution under this legislation, to ensure that disposal of confidential waste is complying with regulations.

Relatively small amounts of confidential waste are recycled, mainly because of concern over potential loss of confidentiality. Although some companies offer a confidential assured service, this may be expensive.

Check your local contractor to see if they will provide a guaranteed confidential service to recycle the paper.

Onsite Waste Shredding provide mobile facilities in Scotland.
Better Shred provide similar facilities nationwide.

Further information on Data Protection and Freedom of Information:

The Information Commissioner is the regulator of the Data Protection Act 1998, the UK-wide aspects of the UK Freedom of Information Act 2000, the Privacy & Electronic Communications [EC Directive] Regulations 2003, and the UK-wide aspects of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004;
The Scottish Information Commissioner is the regulator of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004

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Confidential waste

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