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Records and information management

Secure Document Shredding & Disposal Services in the UK

Destroy your paper-based records located at your commercial locations in a safe and compliant way

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Secure shredding

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What are secure shredding services?

Secure shredding services provide a controlled and compliant way to destroy confidential documents and sensitive information that is no longer needed.

Protect your organisation's sensitive data

With our secure shredding services, your records are safely collected, transported, and destroyed to help you maintain strict regulatory compliance and reduce the risk of security breaches.

Don’t let your documents and assets become a liability: shred them

Iron Mountain secure and confidential shredding services helps protect the privacy of your information by destroying paper records and documents, plastics, and media in a cost-efficient, safe, and compliant way.

Our core destruction services are centred around shredding confidential documents and paper records.

We also offer a wide range of services for businesses, including:

  • branded clothes and accessories
  • digital media, more

Reach out to our team today to get started!

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Optimise your secure shred programme

Regular programme monitoring is critical to minimising business risk, ensuring ongoing compliance with UK regulations, and managing programme costs.

  • Safeguard your organisation’s reputation by securely shredding sensitive and confidential paper documents
  • Reduce storage costs and free up space by shredding documents no longer useful or necessary
  • Ensure compliance by shredding documents in accordance with federal, state, and industry regulations to avoid penalties, fines, or legal action
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Features and benefits of our professional shredding services

Protecting confidential information

Partnering with a trusted document destruction provider safeguards your sensitive client and organisational data while helping to eliminate critical security threats.

Protecting confidential information requires end-to-end security. We offer a high-security shredding service, which reduces highly sensitive records and . By leveraging certified secure storage, transport, and destruction, you can mitigate risk, stay compliant, and focus on unlocking the full value of your data.

Protect your information and the environment

Every piece of paper our services shred on your behalf is recycled in UK recycling mills.

Supporting compliance requirements: Secure shredding services help organisations meet UK’s data protection and records management obligations by ensuring confidential information is destroyed securely and in line with regulatory requirements.

High-security destruction for sensitive materials: For highly confidential documents, products, or materials, Iron Mountain offers high-security shredding. This service is often used by financial institutions, government organisations, and businesses handling sensitive information.

Why choose Iron Mountain’s confidential shredding services?

While standard in-office machines have long been the default for paper disposal, they are costly to maintain, slow down your team, and often leave room for security breaches. By switching to an outsourced, confidential shredding service, you gain a cost-effective, hassle-free solution that helps to ensure strict regulatory compliance, reduces the risk of security breaches, and gives you peace of mind.

Secure shredding offerings

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Recurring shred services

Recurring shredding is available for organisations that need ongoing destruction of sensitive paper documents. Iron Mountain offers verified offsite shredding, or an onsite shredding option for customers that require the immediate or witnessed destruction of materials on premises.
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Special purge or bulk shredding projects

For periodic or one-time shredding, Iron Mountain offers a range of special project destruction services that can be customised to meet your organisation’s unique needs.
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IT asset recycling and disposition

Does your destruction programme cover data-bearing e-waste, such as computer hard drives and other materials? We can help. Save time and money with our Asset Lifecycle Management service.

Small business solutions

Save now on records storage for small businesses. Select from a variety of sizes and add extra services, such as 24/7 access to documents and retrieval.

We make it easy to get started.

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Why Iron Mountain?

We have the experience and expertise to streamline your organisation while keeping your enterprise and customer data safe and secure. Together, we elevate the power of your work.


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Frequently asked questions

Learn more about our entire range of popular secure shredding services, or reach out to ask questions of your own.

What types of documents can be securely shredded?
Secure shredding services can be used for a wide range of confidential materials, including financial records, employee files, customer information, legal documents, medical records, invoices, and other business documents containing sensitive information.
How does the secure shredding process work?
The secure shredding process typically involves placing documents into secure collection containers, collecting them through controlled procedures, transporting them securely to a shredding facility, and destroying them according to strict security standards. Organisations may also receive confirmation of destruction once the process is complete.
Why should businesses use a professional shredding service instead of shredding documents themselves?
Professional shredding services provide greater security, efficiency, and compliance support than in-house document disposal. They help ensure sensitive information is destroyed properly while reducing the time and resources required to manage document destruction internally.
Are secure shredding services environmentally friendly?
Yes. Secure shredding services support responsible waste management by ensuring shredded paper and other eligible materials are recycled wherever possible. This helps organisations securely dispose of confidential information while reducing their environmental impact.
What UK standards does Iron Mountain’s shredding services comply with?

Iron Mountain operates secure shredding services aligned with key British and international operational, quality, and security benchmarks:

  • BS EN 15713 (EN 15713): The European and British standard specifically governing the secure destruction of confidential material. This covers the entire chain of custody, including vetting procedures, facility security, transport protocols, and shred size specifications.
  • BS 7858: All operational and collections staff undergo rigorous security screening to BS 7858 standards, which includes criminal record checks, employment history verification, and identity checks.
  • ISO 9001 (Quality Management Systems): Standardised operational processes maintain high quality and consistency across collection, handling, and destruction workflows.
  • ISO 27001 (Information Security Management): Technical and organisational controls maintain strict data security and protection across physical and digital processing systems.
  • ISO 14001 (Environmental Management Systems): Operational workflows adhere to international environmental management standards, supporting sustainable waste handling post-destruction.
How does your shredding services ensure compliance with UK’s GDPR and ICO requirements?

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) mandates that data controllers maintain strict control over personal data throughout its lifecycle, including disposal. Our company supports compliance through an end-to-end auditable workflow:

  • Chain of Custody Controls: Secure, lockable consoles are placed on-site for document disposal. Collections are conducted by vetted operatives using tracked, GPS-monitored, lockable vehicles.
  • Defensible Destruction Processes: Confidential materials—whether paper records or physical media—are processed using offsite or mobile onsite shredding units, rendering data unrecoverable.
  • Audit Trail and Certification: Every completed shredding order generates an official Certificate of Destruction alongside electronic tracking logs. This offers verifiable proof of compliance during ICO audits or internal investigations.
  • Data Processing Agreements (DPAs): Written contracts outline clear roles, technical safeguards, and operational procedures, satisfying UK GDPR Article 28 requirements for data processors.
Do Iron Mountain’s secure shredding services support corporate ESG and Net Zero goals?

Yes. We integrate circular economy principles into its secure shredding operations to help organisations meet ESG targets and carbon-reduction commitments:

  • Paper Recycling: Following destruction to an unrecoverable state, the shredded paper material is baled and sent to local mills to be recycled into recycled paper products.
  • Landfill Diversion: Shredded materials are kept entirely out of landfills, directly reducing Scope 3 supply chain waste emissions.
  • Actionable ESG Reporting: Clients receive tailored Green Reports powered by environmental calculation models. These reports quantify the tangible environmental impact of your shredding programme—such as trees saved, water conserved, and avoided CO₂ emissions—providing validated data for corporate ESG disclosures and Net Zero reporting.
  • Corporate Climate Commitments: Iron Mountain maintains its own corporate commitments to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and sourcing clean energy across its facilities, helping lower the carbon footprint of your outsourced services.

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