Confidential waste is paper or electronic media you no longer need that still hold personal information or sensitive business details, such as payslips, client files, bank statements or hard drives. It has to be destroyed so it can't be read or reconstructed, usually by cross-cut shredding, pulping or a certified destruction service, rather than thrown away with ordinary rubbish.
The duty behind it
A business holding personal data is covered by UK data protection law. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) says "You must not keep personal data for longer than you need it" and that you should "erase or anonymise it when you no longer need it". Its security guidance lists "how you dispose of any paper and electronic waste" as a security factor, and names "hard-copy records being lost, stolen or incorrectly disposed of" as a cause of incidents. How long to keep a record first is records retention; confidential waste is what is left when that period ends.
At Wigwam
Does Wigwam shred documents? No. Wigwam doesn't shred documents: our guide to business document storage says "we do not provide shredding or certificates of destruction", so use a destruction firm that gives you a certificate of destruction and is on the register of waste carriers. If the firm collects from your unit, someone from your side must meet it. The data in your boxes stays your responsibility: our guide for solicitors says Wigwam is "your landlord, not your data processor".
Three parts of our terms matter:
- Waiting sacks stay in your unit. Clause 22(g) says you must not "leave items or refuse in any common space within the Facility", and under clause 11 any "items left unattended in common areas at the Facility or outside Your Unit" "shall be treated as abandoned and may at Our discretion be moved, sold or disposed of immediately".
- Records holding personal data. Clause 10, on disposing of goods, says "We may dispose of the Goods at Our discretion in the event that" (among other things) "(b) Goods may contain personal data belonging to You or others." The clause doesn't say whether this reaches goods in a unit you're still paying for; if that matters, ask us on 0800 2545585.
- Clearing out. If the unit is unclean or damaged, clause 23 lets us retain the Deposit, charge a Cleaning Fee, or claim "the reasonable costs of … disposal of refuse". Take every sack with you.
Firms storing client files: have your data protection officer review the terms first.
Clearing a relative's papers: bank statements and letters still carry personal details, so shred them rather than recycle them whole, after checking with the solicitor or executor what must be kept.
Related terms: Records retention · Retention schedule · Document storage
Related questions: How do you keep my personal data safe? · Is there anywhere to throw rubbish away on site? · How long do UK small businesses need to keep financial records?