Why not burn paper instead of shredding?

If you are looking for a way to destroy your paperwork securely, you may be considering burning it instead of shredding it.

Here at Shred Station, we specialise in the secure destruction of confidential information. Of course, any shredding service supplier will insist shredding is the best option for your old documents. However, there are very valid reasons for this recommendation. So, why not burn paper instead of shredding?

Burning vs shredding

In this article, we’ll cover the main differences between burning your documents and shredding them.

Environmental impacts

One of the main reasons to choose shredding over burning is the environment.

Burning most material, even something light and highly flammable like paper, releases carbon dioxide gas which harms the environment. Burning paperwork can also produce acrolein, ammonia, and other fumes from inks, dyes, and chemicals. As well as being potentially detrimental to health, these fumes can negatively impact the environment.

The other clear advantage of shredding rather than burning is recyclability. By burning your documents, you remove that resource from the planet. Paper is easily recyclable, and the reuse of paper can save a lot of resources from being depleted. For example, just one tonne of paper being recycled can save 17 trees from deforestation. If all paper and cardboard were recycled, the UK could save 26.97 million trees every year. If that isn’t an incentive to shred and recycle your documents rather than burning them, we don’t know what is!

Safety

Creating fires on your property is allowed if it does not disrupt your neighbours or cause danger to nearby road traffic.  However, just because they are allowed, it doesn’t mean they are safe. Even a small fire can quickly get out of control, causing danger not just to humans, but also to local wildlife and habitats. If your fire is found to be dangerous, you could face an unlimited fine and even risk time behind bars. As mentioned, burning paperwork that has been treated with chemicals or contains ink also has health risks.

Shredding at home can also be dangerous, with dangerous mechanics, dust inhalation, and top-heavy construction all being risks to health. Even the smallest shredders can also seriously injure pets and small children. Using a shredding service provider removes this risk for your family or close ones.

Security

While burning does ensure destruction, there is no chain of custody for your materials. By this, we mean proof of compliance in how you’ve handled your sensitive documents. This is especially important for anyone destroying commercial information.

With a shredding service supplier, you will receive a Waste Transfer Note and Certificate of Destruction after every collection. These documents give you that vital proof of compliance for your audit trail. For businesses, this is considered the proper way to dispose of confidential information.

For individuals, shredding services are an environmentally friendly, safe, and secure way to ensure your confidential materials are destroyed. Unlike shredding at home, shredding services won’t leave your document fragments in unlocked domestic bins. At Shred Station, shredded items are baled inside our high-security destruction facilities. The 600-700kg bales are then securely transported to UK-based paper mills for recycling back into paper products. Nothing is ever accessible to the public.

If you’d like to receive a quick no-obligation quote for any materials you need to destroy, contact our team of experts.

Sign up for our newsletter to receive alerts about new blog articles, data protection advice, and Shred Station news.