Recycling, Personal Information and Identity Theft

Your rubbish can reveal a surprising amount about you. Names, addresses, account numbers, signatures and details of your health or shopping can all end up in the bin. Fraudsters are known to search household waste for this kind of information, a practice sometimes called "bin raiding".

Bank statements are an obvious example. Personal details also appear on items routinely put in recycling, such as delivery labels and envelopes. Taking care with these can reduce the chance of exposing personal information.

Paper and post

Securely destroy unwanted paperwork containing sensitive information, such as bank and credit card statements, receipts, payslips and unsolicited credit offers. Before clearing out tax, pension or legal paperwork, check whether you still need to keep it. A shredder that cuts paper into small pieces is better than one that produces long strips, which can be pieced back together.

Utility bills, phone bills, NHS letters, council tax bills and old travel documents can also contain personal information. Combined with information obtained elsewhere, these details can help fraudsters impersonate you or attempt applications in your name.

Check your council's rules before putting shredded paper in your recycling, because some collections do not accept it. Councils that do accept it may specify paper bags or ban bags altogether. Do not put it in food or garden waste unless the council explicitly allows this. You can find your local council on GOV.UK.

If you do not own a shredder, borrow a suitable one or use a reputable confidential waste service that accepts household documents. Check its charges and confirm it provides secure destruction rather than ordinary paper recycling. Cutting out the sensitive sections reduces the amount to destroy, but those sections still need secure destruction.

Labels, cards and documents

Delivery labels and address labels on magazine wrappers often carry your full name, address and sometimes a phone number or order details. Remove or cut out these labels and destroy them securely before the packaging goes in the recycling. Do not rely on marker pen alone. Ink may not fully cover glossy or thermal labels, and it will not hide a barcode or QR code.

Boarding passes and tickets can include booking references, and their barcodes or QR codes may hold more. Destroy the whole pass, not just the printed name.

Remove pharmacy labels from prescription bags and medicine boxes where practical. Return unwanted medicines to a pharmacy rather than putting them in recycling, household waste or down the drain.

Bank, store and loyalty cards are generally not accepted in household recycling. Follow the issuer's disposal or return instructions, as metal cards need different handling. Where cutting is appropriate, cut through the chip, the magnetic strip and the card number.

Keep old passports and driving licences secure. When renewing or replacing them, follow the relevant authority's instructions, which may ask you to send in the previous document. The DVLA covers Great Britain and the DVA covers Northern Ireland.

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Phones, computers and other devices

Old devices can hold substantial amounts of personal information. Phones, laptops, tablets and smartwatches may store photos, emails, saved passwords and banking apps. USB sticks, external drives and memory cards hold data too, and printers, routers and smart home products may need resets specific to the model.

Before you recycle, sell or donate a device:

• Back up anything you want to keep
• Sign out of accounts such as Apple ID, Google, Microsoft and banking apps, and remove activation locks
• Remove physical SIM and memory cards, and erase any eSIM
• Follow the manufacturer's instructions for erasing the device and transferring ownership
• For computers, use a secure erasure method suited to the type of storage, or a reputable specialist if unsure

Avoid destroying devices yourself, particularly those with batteries. It can also stop a working computer being reused. The National Cyber Security Centre publishes guidance on erasing devices. Electrical items should not go in household bins. Most council recycling centres accept them, and Recycle Your Electricals lists local drop off points.

Spotting problems and what to do

Stolen details do not necessarily mean someone has used them. Signs that they have include post that stops arriving, letters about accounts you did not open, unexpected bills or debt collection letters, and unfamiliar entries on your bank statements.

Your statutory credit report is free from each of the three credit reference agencies: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. Their records can differ, so check all three. You do not need a paid subscription. If you move, arrange Royal Mail redirection and update your address directly with banks, healthcare providers and other organisations. Redirection is temporary and does not cover every item, and courier deliveries are generally not included.

If you think your identity has been misused, contact your bank or card provider straight away, along with any lender, retailer or mobile provider where an unfamiliar account has been opened. Dispute incorrect entries on your credit file, and keep relevant letters, account details and reference numbers. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, report fraud to Report Fraud. In Scotland, contact Police Scotland on 101.

Cifas Protective Registration prompts participating organisations to make extra identity checks on applications using your details. It is a paid, time limited service. It does not freeze your credit file and may slow down your own applications.

Get Safe Online and Citizens Advice offer wider advice on scams. Securely destroying sensitive paperwork and properly erasing devices can reduce the risk without stopping you recycling.