The BS EN 15713:2023 outlines regulations UK businesses need to be aware of. Learn more about waste management compliance with Russell Richardson.
Handling confidential waste properly is no longer just a box-ticking exercise. In recent years, we have seen a tightening of UK and European confidential waste regulations, in particular around BS EN 15713:2023 standards. With increased scrutiny around data protection, businesses need to be confident that their disposal processes are secure, compliant, and fully traceable.
At Russell Richardson, we support organisations across the UK with secure shredding and waste compliance management solutions designed to help businesses stay protected and compliant. In this checklist, we outline 7 practical steps businesses can take to carry out a waste management compliance audit and improve compliance in 2026.
But first, what is the BS EN 15713:2023?
Simply put, BS EN 15713:2023 is the recognised UK and European standard for the secure destruction of confidential material. Within its regulations, businesses can see the sets of rules and best practices that they should adhere to ensure their confidential waste is collected, transported, stored and destroyed in a secure manner.
The BS EN 15713:2023 regulations cover all manner of areas, such as:
- Secure collection and locked containers
- Staff vetting and security procedures
- Tracking confidential waste from collection to destruction
- Safe transportation of materials
- Secure shredding and destruction processes
- Providing proof that waste has been destroyed correctly
Working with a provider that adheres to BS EN 15713:2023, like Russell Richardson, can help to demonstrate that confidential documents are being handled responsibly and in line with wider data protection and confidential waste regulations, avoiding penalties, possible legal action and reputational damage.
7 steps to waste management compliance
1. Identify what qualifies as confidential waste
The confidential waste that you need to manage and arrange disposal of will vary from company to company, so it’s important to ensure that every member of your team has a clear understanding of what is classified as confidential data.
Not all confidential waste is obvious. Alongside financial paperwork and employee records, businesses should also consider printed emails, customer information, contracts, medical records, and archived documents that contain sensitive data.
Consider creating internal guides for your organisation that explicitly detail what in
formation and documents require secure and confidential shredding.
2. Train staff on their data protection responsibilities
Even if you are feeling confident in your waste management and confidentiality protection, the best processes can fail without proper staff awareness. Getting your full team involved in understanding confidential waste regulations, such as the BS EN 15713:2023, can be really beneficial.
Employees should understand confidential waste regulations, what can and cannot be disposed of normally, and how to report potential risks or breaches. With the whole team on board, you minimise risks of confidential data breaches slipping through the cracks.
3. Conduct routine waste management compliance audits
Regular waste management compliance audits can help businesses of all sizes identify where the weaknesses in their confidential waste procedures are before they become a risk. Reviewing how confidential information is stored, collected, transported, and destroyed can help improve security, strengthen accountability, and support ongoing compliance with confidential waste regulations.
By making this a regular process in your waste management practices, you avoid audits becoming an overwhelming workload triggered by compliance breaches that have already happened.
Russell Richardson can help businesses maintain a clear audit trail through secure collections and Certificates of Destruction.
4. Find a trusted shredding service provider
Working with a provider that operates in line with BS EN 15713 standards helps ensure confidential waste is handled securely throughout the entire process, from collection through to destruction.
Working with our dedicated and professional team at Russell Richardson helps ensure your confidential waste is handled securely throughout the entire process, from collection and transportation through to secure destruction, in line with BS EN 15713 standards.
5. Arrange regular, appropriate disposal of confidential waste
As with any form of waste management, routine and organisation are key to minimising risk. By arranging regular disposal of confidential waste, a business can reduce the risk of sensitive information being lost, misplaced, or accessed by the wrong people, compromising their BS EN 15713:2023 compliance.
Having a regular disposal schedule in place helps businesses maintain a safer, more organised working environment while supporting compliance with confidential waste regulations. This is where Russell Richardson comes in, allowing you to set regular and ad hoc collections. We provide secure, confidential waste collections tailored to the needs of businesses across a wide range of sectors.
6. Don’t neglect digital confidential waste management.
When most of us discuss secure shredding and recycling, we often think of paper documents that need to be properly disposed of. However, waste regulations also refer t
o digital data storage such as hard drives, USBs, and other electronic storage devices that may contain large amounts of confidential data.
Russell Richardson offers a certified media and hard drive shredding service to ensure that your data remains secure and electronic storage devices never end up in the wrong hands.
7. Be ready to review and update your business practices
Confidential waste regulations and data protection requirements continue to evolve, and so should your internal processes and business practices to meet them. As your business grows and your systems change to adapt to new or larger volumes of sensitive information, your disposal procedures may also need to adapt.
Reviewing your waste compliance management processes regularly can help ensure your business continues to meet current standards, reduce risk, and maintain secure handling of confidential waste.
At Russell Richardson, we support businesses with secure shredding services designed to help organisations stay compliant, protected, and prepared for changing regulations. We work with a vast range of businesses, helping them grow with secure and reliable waste management processes that suit their needs.
With these 7 steps to waste management compliance, UK businesses can build a solid foundation for meeting BS EN 15713 standards and other confidential waste regulations to avoid penalties and maintain client and customer trust. If you have more questions or concerns about confidential waste regulations, contact a member of our team.
