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The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a massive shift to digital spaces. Despite this, many businesses still need to deal with paperwork. Many of these contain personal and sensitive information both from clients and companies.
Yet, we cannot store all these documents forever, and we will need to dispose of them eventually. Paper shredding is the most standard practice to achieve this. It might seem menial, but this method of physical data destruction remains standard.
Here are five reasons you should do it for your business, too.
1. Compliance with privacy laws
The Canadian government and its localities in Toronto have set up data privacy laws in place. The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), in particular, applies to organizations and businesses that collect information for commercial activity.
Businesses must follow ten fair information principles to protect their clients’ personal information. Shredding confidential documents is one way to make them inaccessible and private. This protects your clients and your business alike.
2. Identity theft prevention
Businesses often collect their clients’ information for everyday transactions. Be it using a credit card or signing up for new services, they involve customers’ data. This private information would be extremely valuable or dangerous in the wrong hands.
Everyone knows business documents are rife with personal information. Identity thieves consider these fair game. They could use your data to access credit cards or bank accounts and leave you with mountains of debt. Failure to protect or dispose of this data could put your clients at risk of this crime. No business owner wants that.
3. Keeping Customer Trust
To maintain customer satisfaction, you will need to earn their trust. If they know that their data is safe in your hands, they will be more likely to keep doing business with you.
4. Minimizing clutter and fire hazards
Space is a big problem if you work in an already cramped office. Old-fashioned information storage eats up a lot of physical space. Folders and filing cabinets aren’t very sleek. It’s a non-issue if you have the capacity, but you will have to throw some out when the time comes.
These stacks of documents add clutter, that’s true. They are also potential fire hazards when improperly handled or stored. It is always a good practice to dispose of confidential documents securely.
5. Positive environmental impact
Landfills are already filling up with the world’s waste. The plain paper we use daily comes from the cutting down of forests for raw materials. There’s no harm in doing what we can to maintain sustainable business practices. One of these practices is recycling, which is both convenient and valuable.
Professional shredding companies in Toronto could help you recycle your paper waste. Recycled paper uses minimal resources when compared to traditional paper manufacturing. Shredding and recycling your documents can help save forests, water, and electricity.
By shredding your documents, you can protect your clients and your business. It’s also a great way to start recycling and building sustainable business practices.
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