Australia Post says you can get letters and parcels and stay safe.
Send and Shred offers secure destruction and recycling for the millions of Australians now working from home. As the perfect service for social distancing, we've checked our procedures in the light of Coronavirus. Here are four ways we're keeping you safe.
1. Customers order online from home. You don't need to leave the house.
2. We deliver to letterboxes via Australia Post. There's no need for a signature or any contact with your postie.
3. Our fulfilment staff wear gloves and practise good hygiene while packing orders. They do not work if they have COVID-19 symptoms.
4. Australia Post staff practise good hygiene and do not work if they have COVID-19 symptoms.
COVID-19 can survive on some surfaces. This means there is a small risk with anything brought into your home, including your shoes, your groceries and your online shopping. However, Australia Post CEO, Christine Holgate, advises that customers should remain comfortable in receiving their parcels and mail.
'We're one postal organisation, there are about 165 in the world, and I'm pleased to report there's no evidence that the virus survives on letters or parcels,' Ms Holgate said.
Some of our particularly cautious customers have come up with creative ways to put their minds at rest. Check our FAQ for details and order away!
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Mill House work exclusively with social enterprises. Send and Shred is a recycling service that also donates 50c from each bag to the RSPCA, so we were a perfect match.
We were delighted to work with a Mill House Associate over summer, Mia McGaffin. Mia generously helped us develop a national Ecoomerce marketing strategy and social media marketing plan to help us scale up. With the launch of our new website and our ecommerce platform, we're excited about what 2020 will bring!
]]>The Green Shed operates a network of tip shops and op shops that sell second-hand goods. Since they began in 2010, they've recycled 63 million items and saved 59,000 tonnes from landfill. They've also donated over $780,000 in cash through their 'Charity Days' run on the last Wednesday of each month, where they donate 100% of all turnover to a charity. The Green Shed has launched and incubated several charity recycling ventures, including OzHarvest's Give-A-Can, Charity Cars and my company, Send and Shred.
Send and Shred shred and recycle paperwork for households and small businesses. We launched in 2018. We aim to replace the home shredder, which sends 1.5 million paper shredders to landfill as Ewaste each year, along with the paper they've shredded. We donate 50 cents from each bag to the RSPCA. We recycle all our paper with Australian pulp mills. We recycle our plastic bags through Plastic Forests.
Plastic Forests save soft plastics from landfill and recycle them instead. They started in 2011. They target the 400,000 tonnes of plastic film thrown out in Australia each year, instead recycling it back into plastic pellets or GreenMongrel products. Their GreenMongrel Mini Wheel Stop is the first Australian-designed, Australian-made recycled plastic film product and they run it as a school fundraiser.
These three companies all work in the circular economy. A circular economy is the perfect system. It's completely sustainable and it creates no waste. Things are made, sold, used, reused and then recycled back into new things. This is how nature works. There is no waste in nature because every waste product becomes a resource that gets used by someone else. Here's hoping green businesses like ours are soon the rule, not the exception.
by Jo Clay
CEO of Send and Shred
'There are a lot of clever ideas out there,' said Send and Shred CEO, Jo Clay. 'We were up against software and big data apps developed by government departments and business. Fortunately, our little start-up did quite well.'
'Send and Shred is easy,' Jo said. 'Buy a Send and Shred bag, fill it with paperwork and lodge it in any post office. We shred and recycle it. Track it and download your destruction certificate. There's still a place for smart, simple ideas that work.'
]]>TOP TIPS TO AVOID SCAMS
How can you avoid scams? Follow our top tips.
1) Empty your mailbox daily.
2) Shred old paperwork.
3) Use the government's Stay Smart Online site.
4) Check your email accounts on the Information Commissioner’s recommended ;--have i been pwned site run by Troy Hunt.
It's a stressful time. As well as dealing with death or the grief of watching a loved one's health deteriorate, there are legal requirements, physical work and vast amounts of administration. Families often argue over decisions.
There are also unplanned expenses. Even where these are covered by a person's assets, you may have bills to pay while waiting for probate, guardianship or a property sale.
Once you've dealt with the immediate concerns, you will probably find yourself clearing out someone else's home. This can be a cathartic chance to process lifelong memories. It can also be devastating, particularly if you don't know what to do with it all or if family members disagree.
There are professional services that help pack and move items, clear out rubbish or renovate properties for sale. Some companies, like I Buy Anything Canberra, may help with all three tasks. But at some point, you will need to decide what to keep and what to discard.
Customers often contact Send and Shred when they're clearing out someone else's filing cabinet. People know they shouldn't throw someone else's personal information in the bin, but it's hard to tell at a glance what's sensitive.
How long should you keep other people's paperwork?
I have an older family, so I've been through this a few times. I keep sentimental items, like my Dad's old shipping ticket to England. I put generic things in the recycling, like newsletters, old books and magazines. I make family albums with scanned photos. But I don't fill my garage with boxes of old paperwork that I'll never look at again.
What about legal requirements? If in doubt, check with your executor, lawyer or accountant.
Some records are worth keeping forever, like birth certificates and passports. But you can securely discard these in a Send and Shred bag if you'd prefer to. Keep official records and tax and business paperwork for the statutory holding period. That's often five or six years but it can be longer, especially if there are debts or litigation. Personal and medical records are up to the individual. But whatever you throw out, make sure you do it securely.
Send and Shred is delighted to announce new arrangements with Plastic Forests to recycle the empty bags as well.
"We were always concerned about using plastic," said Send and Shred CEO, Jo Clay. "But our bags have to be strong enough to hold heavy loads of paper. They have to be secure and stay intact throughout the postal system. It's hard to find a container that does that. We tested over 50 designs, including paper, cardboard and boxes. None met our standards. We ended up sourcing our plastic bag from a specialist in high-security packaging. They make coin bags for the major banks and tamper-proof evidence bags for the police, so we knew they'd do the job right."
"Plastic is strong. If it's recycled, it's also good for the environment. It's lightweight, giving it a low transport footprint. It can be turned into almost anything. We're delighted to set up closed-loop recycling with Plastic Forests."
Send and Shred's empty plastic bags are shredded separately from the paper, to preserve the value of both recycling streams. The shredded bags are then be transported to Albury, where Plastic Forests turn them into resin. The resin is either sold back into the plastic industry or made into a sustainable GreenMongrel product, like underground cable cover, garden edging, root barrier or garbage bags.
While many hard plastics can be recycled via kerbside systems, plastic film and plastic bags are a problem waste stream. Plastic Forests were the first to commercialise their dry-cleaning process. They recycle contaminated plastic films without using water.
"Plastic Forests are really smart about sustainability," Jo continued. "Society has the technology to recycle almost anything, but it doesn't happen unless it's part of a circular economy. Look at what happened when China refused Australia's mixed waste. It was chaos, because we hadn't taken the trouble to set up the end markets ourselves. We can't simply recycle. We have to create useful products that get sold. Before you buy, make sure it's made with recycled material. And look for the Green Mongrel."
Find out more at https://plasticforests.com.au/
]]>Australia Post securely transports bags to our Locked Box, where they're collected and taken to our shred. We have a secure chain-of-custody and all staff are police-vetted. The factory itself has alarms, 24 hour CCTV monitoring and holds both ASIO T4 clearance and AAA NAID certification.
At the factory, bags go through the industrial grinder, which rips the paper apart into small pieces. A home shredder cuts paper fibres, but our grinder rips them apart, which destroys the text but keeps the fibres intact. "This preserves the fibres for high-grade recycling," said Send and Shred CEO, Jo Clay. "Paper moves down the recycling chain each time it is processed. It finally becomes toilet paper, at which point it can't be recycled any more. Preserving the pulp fibres means we keep it in circulation much longer."
After being ripped apart, the pieces are blended together, compressed and baled. They are shipped to an Australian pulp mill, where they're turned back into new paper products.
China recently stopped accepting Australian mixed recycling. What does this mean for Send and Shred?
"We haven't been affected by China's waste ban," said Jo. "That ban only affects low-grade mixed recycling. We've set up a careful system which results in good-quality paper pulp. This is a high-demand commodity that will be recycled again and again. We don't even need to export it overseas, we use an Australian pulp mill."
The Materials Recovery Facility processes household recycling. What do they think of shredded paper?
"The Materials Recovery Facility says shredded paper is 'dreaded paper'," said Jo. "Like most household recycling facilities around Australia, they can't process it. Neither machinery nor staff can sort out shredded paper and it gets tangled up, causes a big headache at the plant and then goes to landfill."
"Household recycling facilities are built to handle standard household recyclables, like whole pages and cardboard packaging," Jo said. "Once it's shredded, it's waste."
]]>Shredders also send paper to landfill, because household recycling facilities can't process it. If you use a home shredder and put loose shredded paper in your household recycling bin, it becomes waste. If that bothers you, either don't shred it yourself or make sure you recycle your own (eg. use shredded paper for compost or chicken litter).
We launched Send and Shred to fix all of these problems. But we didn't realise the hidden problem of shredder Ewaste.
One of my Board members brought it up at a meeting. "How many broken shredders go to landfill each year?" Sandie asked.
Sandie manages Canberra's tip shop, The Green Shed. They accept unwanted goods from the public and salvage waste from the tip face, then resell it. Sandie knew there were a lot of broken shredders because they often end up at The Green Shed. They can't be resold and, unlike televisions and computers, there are no national recycling schemes. This means they end up in landfill. I set out to answer Sandie's question.
It's hard to find reliable data about particular types of waste in landfill. There are 1,168 landfills around the country, some of which are government-owned and some of which are private.
National Waste Reports are produced, but they're based on state data. Each state conducts different types of audits at different times. Some audits are based on direct measurement and others use estimates and industry factors. I couldn't find any that measured shredder Ewaste.
I decided to take a different approach and look at generation rates. Australia Post's Australian Lifestyle Survey conducted research for us in June 2017. We asked how many households owned a shredder. The answer was 47%. This was based on 234 responses from a statistically representative sample all around Australia.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics says there are around 9.24 million households in Australia. If 47% own a shredder, that makes 4.34 million shredders.
Guess what? Shredders break.
I couldn't find data on how long the 'average' shredder lasts. Most manufacturers put a 12 month or 2-year warranty on their appliance. Making the generous assumption that shredders last for three years, that means there are 1.45 million shredders breaking down each year. I rounded up the difference.
1.5 million shredders may not get sent to landfill each and every year. Some people may stockpile their broken shredder rather than throwing it out. This is known in the industry as 'above-ground landfill' because it only delays the inevitable. Some people may not replace their shredder at all. We'd certainly encourage that, but the aisle of OfficeWorks shredders indicates these devices sell well.
On the other hand, there may be more than 1.5 million in landfill each year. My figures don't include shredders for the 2.1 million small businesses around Australia.
Send and Shred recycles paper that would otherwise go to landfill and avoids shredder Ewaste. So next time your shredder breaks, have a good hard think before you replace it.
]]>Re.group operates Material Recovery Facilities in Canberra and around Australia. Their facilities process household waste and recycling. Re.group's Chief Development Officer, Garth Lamb, explained the problems caused by loose shredded paper from home shredders. "Shredded paper in the ‘yellow bin’ creates a nightmare for recycling facilities,’ said Garth. “Unlike a whole sheet of paper which is easily recycled, shredded paper falls through the equipment and unfortunately it often ends up going to waste. We can’t accept shredded paper in the ‘yellow bin,’ so there is a role for specialist services that ensure it is still recycled.”
Paper shredder appliances also cause environmental problems. Jo Clay, CEO of Send and Shred, explained why. "Like a lot of modern appliances, home shredders aren't built to last. They definitely can't go into your 'yellow bin' for recycling and we haven't found any other recycling options for them in Australia. We estimate that around 1.5 million home shredders are sent to landfill every year."
What can you do to avoid this waste?
1. Use a secure shredding service instead of shredding your own. Choose a service that recycles, like Send and Shred for households and small offices or Shred-X for big businesses.
2. Reduce your paper waste. Unsubscribe yourself from mailing lists if you don't read what they send. Print out what you need for security, client preference or easy reading, but don't print everything out of habit.
3. If you decide to buy a paper shredder, pick a good quality one that will last. Fewer replacements mean less Ewaste in landfill.
4. If you shred at work, check that your waste & recycling company processes the shredded paper. Household recycling collections usually can't process shredded paper, but commercial recycling collections often can.
5. If you shred at home, don't put loose shredded paper in your household 'yellow' recycling bin. Check with your local council to find a better option. Your council might advise you to home compost the shredded paper, put it through your worm farm or seal it into a paper envelope and then put it into your recycling bin. Different options work in different places because there are different recycling facilities and collection arrangements. That's why you need to check with your local authorities to find out what works in your area.
]]>A whopping 1.2 million Australians are compulsive hoarders. Send and Shred CEO, Jo Clay, has personal experience with this. She's cleared hoarder houses in the past.
'It's hard work but a valuable experience,' Jo said. 'It's made me think about what I do and don't need.'
While most of us aren't hoarders, we still acquire too much stuff. One filmmaker put everything he owned into storage for a year, including all his clothes. He removed one item per day to see what he could live without. Don't watch his movie unless you want to see a naked Finn run through the snow!
There's a whole industry built on helping people declutter.
'I love Marie Kondo's 'Tidying Up' on Netflix because it's not about hoarding,' Jo said. 'It's about the regular mess most of us live with every day. But I'm not sure about her KonMari method of throwing out anything that doesn't spark joy. What about my potato peeler and my winter coat? Neither is joyful, but I need them.'
Paperwork often forms a big part of household clutter. Marie Kondo dedicates an entire segment to paper alone.
Before you add more paper to your stockpile, stop and think. Is the document precious for sentimental reasons? Do you need it for legal or tax reasons? Will you read it again? If not, should you get rid of it instead of keeping it?
Paper can be recycled in household recycling bins but check what information it contains. The Information Commissioner considers 'personal information' to be anything that might identify you. This includes a name, address, birth date, bank and tax records. Data thieves steal this kind of information to use immediately or to add to an existing profile.
'Home shredding is one way to destroy personal information,' Jo said. 'Unfortunately, it doesn't recycle. Paper shredded at home usually ends up in landfill because household facilities can't process it. And a lot of people don't have time to shred. An estate clearance business told me that most houses he clears have a paper shredder that's never been used. It won't protect you if it's still in the box.'
Once you've sorted out your paperwork, you might do a full spring clean. If so, think about the environment. Anything you put it in a garbage bin goes to landfill. Reuse options like The Green Shed keep unwanted goods in circulation. Recyclers might accept some of the rest.
Take a moment when clearing out your unwanted stuff. Let the process remind you what you do and don't need so you avoid buying it again in the future.
]]>Home Affairs Minister, Peter Dutton, has announced a security review to fight rising identity theft.
"Each year, many Australians fall victim to identity crime, with an estimated cost of over $2 billion annually," Mr Dutton said.
"The effective management and sharing of identity information is also critical to maintaining public trust in the delivery of government services.
"Citizens want to know that their privacy is maintained and the services being provided are tailored to their needs and easy to use."
The review will look for ways that Australians can protect their information from misuse. Specifically, the review wants convenient, efficient and effective services for individuals and businesses.
If you run a business, take care with personal information for yourself and your clients. Review your online safety regularly. Never throw personal paperwork in a street bin.
]]>Send and Shred CEO, Jo Clay, explained that around 1 in 4 Australians has fallen victim to identity theft. “That’s why police say don't throw sensitive paperwork in the bin.
"Most Australians are cautious about personal information," Jo said. "Our research shows 47% of households own a home shredder. These help protect you from fraud, but they don't help our environment. Most home shredders end up in landfill, along with the paper they've shredded. Household recycling facilities can't process loose shredded paper, so even if you put it in your recycling bin, it ends up in landfill.
"We estimate that home shredding sends around 1.5 million shredders and 11,000 tonnes of shredded paper to landfill each year. That's why we came up with Send and Shred. We wanted a service that recycles, instead of a product that creates waste."
RSPCA ACT CEO, Michelle Robertson is pleased to be working with Send and Shred as this initiative will not only help the 3,800 plus animals that come through the shelter each year but also help the environment. “In order to continue the vital work we do here -- looking after abused, neglected and abandoned animals -- we need support from the Canberra community. We look forward to a continuing relationship with Send and Shred as this social enterprise grows.
Send and Shred is The Green Shed's latest charity recycling business. The Green Shed has donated over $700,000 to charity so far.
]]>Ewaste isn't just a problem for computers, devices and phones. An increasing amount of appliance waste ends up in Australian landfills. Worse, some of it goes overseas.
Each discarded appliance wastes the valuable resources that went into making it, including precious metals like copper and gold. It also represents embedded energy and embedded carbon emissions. If it's dumped in a poorly managed landfill, it can also leach out toxic chemicals that affect nearby people, water and wildlife.
Australia tosses out 700,000 tonnes of Ewaste each year. The average Australian household generates 73 kilograms alone. It's enough to make you reconsider a cheap appliance.
There's a double whammy for paper shredders. As well as ending up in a landfill, these devices send the paper they shred there, too. Household recycling facilities can't process loose shredded paper, so even if you put it into your recycling bin at home, it usually ends up in a landfill.
We ran the numbers on paper shredders. They weren't pretty.
In Australia, home shredding sends 1.5 million appliances + 11,000 tonnes of shredded paper to landfill each year.
What can you do about it? Use a good service that recycles, not a cheap product that creates waste. Send and Shred is perfect for low-volume shredding at home or in small offices. For large companies, get a commercial bin service from a provider like Shred-X.
]]>The Notifiable Data Breach scheme commenced on 22 February 2018. It requires all businesses with Privacy Act obligations to report breaches. That includes most businesses with $3 million turnover. It also covers smaller businesses that provide health services, like doctors, pharmacists, naturopaths, chiropractors, gyms and weight loss clinics.
Breaches included contact details, financial details, identity information and Tax File Numbers. Most breaches occurred through a malicious attack.
"This reflects crime trends," said Jo Clay, CEO of Send and Shred, the secure destruction service for households and small businesses."Property theft is dropping, but fraud is increasing."
"Identity thieves often piece together a profile from multiple sources," Ms Clay said."This means even a small breach can be dangerous. You might take care of your own paperwork, but what about the people you do business with? Do your dentist, accountant, gym and masseuse have a system in place?"
The Notifiable Data Breaches report said theft of paperwork was a significant problem. This came as no surprise to Van Karas, GM of Shred-X.
"National Privacy Principles set strict requirements for shredding documents that should no longer be stored, but we've found many people stockpile paper in offices, homes and cars. That information could easily end up in the wrong hands”.
"A data breach can represent crippling direct and consequential damage for a business. It places your brand, reputation, employees and your customers at risk."
"The end of the financial year is a great time for a home office clear-out," Karas said. "Don’t hold onto to records like tax returns longer than you are legally required.”
Anything you don't need should be securely destroyed. If you have a printer or copier, even the notes and letters you write, you need a destruction plan."
Send and Shred shreds and recycles sensitive paperwork for households and small business. Customers buy a shred bag online for $19.95 plus postage, fill it with paperwork, seal it when full and lodge in any post office anywhere in Australia. Send and Shred securely shreds and recycles the bag and contents. Customers can track their bag and download a destruction certificate.
For over 17 years, Shred-X has been the number one choice for confidential document destruction. Shred‐X has an extensive national footprint throughout Australia with high security destruction facilities in all capital cities and regional centres. Shred-X are committed to providing the highest security levels and complete chain of custody to mitigate the risk of potential privacy breaches and costly penalties. Shred-X offer customised services for households through to multi-nationals and high security government departments.
Environment
Services are usually more environmentally friendly than products. They usually waste fewer resources. This is particularly true for shredding.
Most paper shredded at home ends up in landfill. This is because household recycling facilities can't recycle loose shredded paper, so even if you put it in your yellow-topped recycling bin, it ends up in landfill.
Send and Shred
Send and Shred recycles over 98% of our paper. At $19.95 plus postage, we are also cheaper and more convenient than most other options.
A Send and Shred bag fits up to 5 kilograms or two reams of A4 paper. If you have more paper than that, we recommend buying one of our bulk business packs or contacting a shredding company.
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"We're here today with a great new product called Send and Shred," MInister Rattenbury said.
"The paper that comes out of the bottom of your shredder is unfortunately a real problem in the recycling system. All that shredded paper can stuff up the belts out at the recycling plant and cause some tie-ups. So this great initiative means that all that paper gets recycled and doesn't cause the problems on the conveyor belt."
]]>Interestingly, businesses in the micro sector rely more heavily on paper. ABS figures show only half place orders and less than a third receive orders via the internet. Microbusiness income attributed to the internet actually dropped in recent years.
]]>No, I can't Google the problem. I don't have the internet.
Yes, I've already turned it off and on again.
No, I didn't type Google into Google.
Yes, I can hold. I'm not doing anything else at the moment. I don't have the internet.
It was fiddly and frustrating. I'm sure you've been there. But it could have been worse. I could be living in one of the 1.3 million households with no internet access.
I don't know how they cope. I can't remember what life looked like before the internet. I get bills and do banking electronically. Our Netflix uses Wifi. I keep electronic files.
But I still use paper, too. I print to proofread. I have clients who prefer hard copies. Our board meetings work best if everyone can look at the documents while we talk. Shops give me paper receipts and warranties.
This digital / paper mix is common. Even amongst the younger generations, 2016 research found 74% prefer reading print on paper rather than on screen. Our company's 2017 research found over 95% of respondents had paperwork at home.
Interestingly, businesses in the micro sector rely more heavily on paper. ABS figures show only half place orders and less than a third receive orders via the internet. Microbusiness income attributed to the internet actually dropped in recent years.
This matches my experience. My biggest paperwork problem was when I worked freelance from a home office. I always billed and delivered finals electronically, but I couldn't avoid generating paper. I took notes and wrote specs during client meetings. I printed out draft reports. My clients gave me paperwork.
I couldn't risk throwing any of that in the bin. In Canberra, everyone knows everyone. A single data breach would sink my business on reputation alone, even if they didn't sue. This left me with three bad choices.
1. Buy a shredder and waste an hour each week clearing paper jams.
2. Look unprofessional by handing a stack of old paperwork to the client at the end of the job.
3. Stockpile it forever.
This dilemma's even worse for sole traders with really sensitive information.
I don't mean renegade spies.
What about your personal trainer, masseuse or chiro? Think about the file they have on you. Name, address and date of birth. Age. Weight. Medical history. Embarrassing health problems.
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There's a scary headline. Victims of what? Backache? Homicide? Erectile dysfunction?
Quite possibly, but I'm talking about data theft.
Last month, A Current Affair covered a crackdown on identity fraud. 1 in 5 Australians have their personal data stolen. According to police, "more Australians are more likely to be victimised by identity theft than by any other crime type."
They might use your credit card. You'll have the hassle of recovering money from your bank, if they cover you at all.
The AFP warn that thieves could take out loans and phones in your name. The bills might be sent elsewhere. How long until you'd notice? Thieves could even get a driver's licence or passport in your name and then could run up a criminal record.
When I asked at work, everyone had suffered low-level fraud. We'd all had weird transactions on our cards that we hadn't made. We all got refunded for it but it was a headache. It took calls with the bank, wasted time waiting on hold and then extra security to make sure it didn't happen again. One of us had to cancel a credit card, take out a new one and change over all the automatic payments.
Credit card fraud is upsetting, but ID theft can takes years to sort out. One of my friends actually changed her last name to avoid debt collection calls, because explaining the ID theft got too hard.
Where do thieves get their data? It's often a jigsaw. They assemble small pieces to get the full image. They might get a name and address from stolen mail or paperwork left in a bin. FaceBook could give them a birth date. Once they have these, a few phone calls to businesses might give them the rest.
Who do they target? It's not who you'd think.
Older people fear fraud, but those aged 25 to 44 are more likely to fall victim. Apartment buildings seem more vulnerable to mail and bin theft. And while we all know about phone and internet scams run from foreign countries, Australian exes, contacts and colleagues are frequent culprits.
Victim Support Group ID Care offer great advice to avoid being an easy target. Keep personal documents safe, or get them shredded. Put a lock on your mail box. Be careful sharing personal information online.
We'll always have crime, but you don't have to fall victim. Be smart. Stay safe.
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