Many organisations generate and store sensitive information, such as old client files, previous employees’ records, or financial figures, that ultimately need to be responsibly discarded. With data breaches and privacy concerns continuing to rise, securely destroying this information has become paramount.

According to the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), businesses that process citizens’ personal information must take all necessary steps to safeguard it. To comply with the POPIA, the destruction of data must be done in a way that prevents its reconstruction in an intelligible form. Non-compliance with these regulations can lead to substantial fines and reputational damage for an organisation.

“It is legally required for businesses in South Africa to be fully compliant with the POPIA by keeping confidential information secure, so as to eliminate the risk of it being accessed and misused,” states John Hunt, Managing Director of Mpact Recycling.

“Ensuring that confidential documents are securely destroyed is vital to mitigate against the risk of privacy and security violations.”

As a business expands, new demands arise for that business to meet. This growth generates new data, which then scales with the expansion of the business. This means that all organisations need to find solutions that help manage the destruction of their protected data responsibly.

“There are a number of options for businesses to choose from to address these needs,” says Hunt. “The most common are by investing in on-site commercial shredders, or by outsourcing the shredding process to an independent contractor.”

“It can be challenging for a company to determine which of these options is the best fit, so it is best practice to first analyse the costs and benefits of each,” he continues. “For instance, a business may benefit from procuring a shredding service provider, as this would significantly free up employee productivity, time and space.”

“When making the decision to outsource secure document destruction services, the initial investment may seem costly,” reports Hunt. “The costliest management plans, however, are often those that are executed after the damage has already been done.”

“By choosing a reputable service provider to streamline your document disposal systems, you will ensure compliance, implement secure processes and achieve sustainability for your business,” concludes Hunt. “We encourage all businesses to manage waste responsibly and to strive towards creating a stronger circular economy.”