DID YOU KNOW?  In 1988 (California vs. Greenwood) the United States Supreme Court overruled the 1974 Privacy Act.  This ruling makes your garbage public domain.  Thus, once it hits the trash anyone can legally remove information out of your garbage can.

Identity Theft

• The increasingly growing crime of Identity Theft in recent years has caused Federal and State Governments to mandate that personal information be properly destroyed. 
• Research shows that identity theft information is still largely gathered through paper based materials rather than electronic or internet sources. 
• Over 9 million people last year were the victim of identity theft because of  the improper disposal of their personal information. 

What Should You Shred ?

Anything you would not want in the hands of others. 

• Business - Trade secrets, personal client information, reports, payroll information, contracts, budgets, canceled checks, manuals, drawings, vendor records, supplier records, medical records, health records, employee records, safety records, product information, blue prints, advertising, inventory records, client list, etc.

• Personal - Tax returns, insurance information, bank information, canceled checks, all financial statements, credit card statements, receipts containing credit card numbers or other personal information, medical records, wills, deceased information, etc.

California State Laws

• California Civil Code (Section 1798)  Requires businesses to take all steps necessary to protect client information in their possession and properly destroy such information through shredding, erasing, or otherwise so that it is non legible once it is no longer necessary to be retained.

• California Senate Bill 1386 2003  Requires companies to disclose and notify consumers if consumer information maintained in their data files has been breached.