Businesses have a choice of records disposal methods. Where paper records are concerned, businesses might put those records in the trash, turn them over to a recycling company, or use a more secure method such as burning or shredding.

In choosing among these disposal methods, companies typically weigh cost, convenience, business risk and legal risk.

The legal risks of different disposal methods can be the hardest factors to assess. The state and federal statutes and regulations that affect the choice of disposal methods are varied and complex. With that in mind, this paper describes the laws and regulations that businesses should keep in mind before choosing one disposal method over another, and explains why any decision that involves insecure disposal of any group of paper records should be made only after the most careful consideration.