A WASTE management firm has bought a business specialising in the eco-friendly shredding of sensitive information.

Durham-based Premier Waste Management has acquired Shredderman, a North-East-based specialist in data destruction and recycling.

It offers businesses a secure method of destroying sensitive and confidential waste, which can then be recycled.

Premier customers will now have access to confidential shredding and data destruction of paper, DVDs and audio and video tapes.

Likewise, Shredderman customers now have access to the full range of waste management and recycling services already offered by Premier.

Premier will provide its customers with secure locking bins and bags to hold confidential material for collection in enclosed vehicles.

The material will then be shredded to a size that meets legal requirements for data protection in an enclosed shredding facility.

The baled confetti is then sent to a paper mill where the paper is deinked and recycled into new paper.

The paper recycling process uses special chemicals to erase the ink from the pulp to ensure that shredded documents are impossible to reconstruct.

Paul Littlefair, divisional managing director at Premier Waste, said: “Premier has been keen to expand its offering for business clients and as we have always maintained long-term relationships with paper mills around the UK. We are pleased to have acquired the Shredderman service.

“Our priority now is to ensure a smooth integration of the shredding collection of Shredderman and Premier’s own recycling collection into one operation.”

Graeme Carter, director of Shredderman, will join Premier to head the service.

He said: “As the risk of identity fraud continues to increase, it is even more important to ensure that waste leaving your premises cannot be used to glean information about individuals or company data.

“We feel that this service will therefore be an asset to the security of businesses all over the region.”