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It’s no secret that all responsible citizens, organizations, and governments have realized that creating a set of binding environmental standards for businesses is vitally important to the continued welfare of our planet and its species. According to the United Nations’ Global Compact policy initiative, businesses should “promote greater environmental responsibility” and “encourage the development … of environmentally friendly technologies.” In similar fashion, the international OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) urges companies to “take due account of the need to protect the environment, public health and safety.” And one of the basic values of our International Code of Ethics for Canadian Businesses (ICECB) is the  “protection of environmental quality and sound environmental stewardship.” Yet despite the overwhelming consensus of the international and scientific community, both individuals and businesses are still acting as though they are exempt from the rules—that their decisions don’t matter, or don’t have an impact.

One way to ensure your organization’s compliance with global imperatives is to commit to recycling all paper-based documents once they are no longer needed. When you recycle paper, you reduce the amount of garbage piling up in landfill space, of which there is a finite amount. Paper products surprisingly take up 50 percent of all landfill space; if one metric tonne of newspaper were to be recycled instead of tossed into the trash, you would save 2.5 cubic feet! A reduction of the amount of paper in a landfill also reduces the amount of methane all that slow decomposition produces. Since methane is a greenhouse gas, reducing the amount released into the atmosphere means you’re helping to prevent global climate change. Every business—from the local franchised restaurant to the international finance leader—should be committed to this goal.

It’s easy to throw paper into the recycling bin, but not if it’s sensitive or containing personal or client information. Thieves routinely pick through dumpsters and bins to score credit card numbers, financial information, passwords, mailing addresses, and other information that can be used to perpetrate identity theft. Thankfully, there is a way to fulfill your obligations to the environment while also protecting yourself, your company, and your clients from theft—and that’s through on-site paper shredding!

If you have an abundance of documents that cannot be shredded in a secure or time-efficient manner, Absolute Destruction can help. We can drive to your place of business and shred all paper-based documents on site. Afterward, we will present you with a “Guarantee of Recycling” that promises that all shredded materials will be disposed of in an eco-friendly way. Since 2009, we’ve helped companies and individuals recycle their waste and thus save 1637.5 cubic feet of landfill space. This also helps save energy and keep our air, water, and soil clean.

If commitment to environmental ethics and secure document removal sound like something your company would benefit from, do not delay—contact Absolute Destruction to make a clean slate!