‘SHREDDED, SORTED’ - ONE DAY NATIONWIDE EVENT AIMED AT ENSURING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION IS DISPOSED SECURELY
A new nationwide event that aims to help members of the public to dispose of their personal information safely and securely using professional services is taking place at the beginning of October.
National Shred Day, organised by the British Security Industry Association in partnership with independent national charity Crimestoppers, is an opportunity to safely dispose of confidential waste for a nominal donation using the services of the BSIA Information Destruction (ID) members.
All donations will go towards regional projects carried out by Crimestoppers.
The event is taking place over multiple locations with the assistance of Morrison’s supermarkets on Saturday 2 October at 9.00am, and members of the public will be able to bring along as much as they wish to dispose of, including lever arch files, paper documents and boxes of statements, which will be securely shredded on-site before being baled and recycled into paper and tissue products.
A full list of the venues, stretching from Scotland to the Westcountry can be found on the BSIA’s National Shred Day page.
Under the theme of ‘Shredded, sorted’, National Shred Day aims to raise awareness of the potential risk of fraud if personal information is not disposed of effectively.
Kristian Carter, Chairman of the BSIA’s Information Destruction section and Commercial Director of Shred Station, said: “No matter how well you may think you've shredded your personal information and confidential waste at home it is not 100% safe from thieves. Over lockdown many small companies and independent traders will have stored up a considerable amount and often small shredders will not be sufficient enough to dispose of it safely.
“It is essential now more than ever that confidential documented information on people and businesses is destroyed securely to avoid the possibility of fraud occurring, and the BSIA’s ID companies play a crucial role in maintaining confidentiality with all kinds of paper data. For a small donation you can dispose of your data securely and professionally and be assured that they won’t get their hands on your personal information.”
Mark Hallas, Chief Executive at the charity Crimestoppers, said: “I know that many of us – from businesses to people - have kept too much personal information as a result of lockdowns and the pandemic, especially with people working from home.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to protect yourself by safely disposing of your or other’s personal information – and at the same time help raise valuable funds for Crimestoppers and our important work locally. I’d also like to say a big thank you to BSIA for supporting our charity.”
For more information visit www.bsia.co.uk/national-shred-day
ENDS
Press contact
Katherine Ingram | Public Relations & Communications Officer, BSIA
[email protected] | 07764 968 196
Notes to editors
The British Security Industry Association (BSIA) is the trade association for the professional security industry in the UK.
BSIA members are responsible for more than 70% of privately provided UK security products and services (by turnover) including the manufacture, distribution and installation of electronic and physical security equipment and the provision of security guarding and consultancy services. Their members are industry professionals ranging in size from global companies to small and medium enterprises, offering quality products and services to a vast spectrum of end-users.
The BSIA’s Information Destruction section consists of companies that securely destroy a range of confidential information, including paper, DVDs and computer hard-drives. The section also destroys items that could potentially cause problems if they fall into the wrong hands, such as branded products and uniforms. The section highlights the importance of information destruction for businesses and the benefits of using a quality supplier.
www.bsia.co.uk/information-destruction
Crimestoppers is an independent national charity who run the UK’s only 100% anonymous crime reporting service. If you have information about a crime and want to stay anonymous call Crimestoppers or visit crimestoppers-uk.org to fill in an anonymous online form.
We’re an independent charity that gives you the power to speak up to stop crime, 100% anonymously. Whoever you are, wherever you live, from communities to companies. By phone and online, 24/7, 365 days a year.
We also share advice on how to protect the people you care about from crime, so everyone can feel safe. After receiving your call or a completed anonymous online form, we create a report that brings together all the information you gave us, making sure it doesn't contain any information that could identify you.
Your report is sent to the relevant authority with the legal responsibility to investigate crimes, make arrests and charge people in order to bring them to justice. This could be your local police force or an agency such as the UK Border Agency or HM Revenue & Customs.