Item collection bin and disposal method

Abstract

A tamper-evident bin for collecting confidential items has a self-locking closure that allows one to determine whether there has been an unauthorized opening of the bin. On a requested or a scheduled basis, a disposal service retrieves the old tamper-evident bin, provides a new tamper-evident bin, and disposes of the old tamper-evident bin and all of its contents without ever opening the bin. The bins can also include respective identity codes that allow them to be easily tracked to determine whether there has been an unauthorized replacement of a bin. Optional temporary storage of selected bins allows a second chance access to the bins prior to destruction.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] This invention relates generally to the collection and confidential disposal of items and more particularly, to a method of improving the security of the collection and disposal process. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] The issue of protecting personal and financial information has become more critical in recent years. For example, personal and financial information must be protected from unauthorized disclosure under requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), the Gramm / Leach / Bliley Financial Modernization Act of 1999 (GLB), the Video Privacy Protection Act (18 USC §2710), the Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA” 20 U.S.C. 1232g), as well as 42 C.F.R. §2.16. More general rights to personal privacy are guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States as well as various State Constitutions and statutes. In addition, businesses have vast amounts of internal proprietary ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The present invention provides a secure and efficient way to dispose of confidential records and other confidential items. It involves using tamper-evident bins with self-locking closures located at individual workstations. These bins are designed to be easily identifiable and prevent unauthorized access or loss of information. The confidential items are securely collected, replaced with new tamper-evident bins, and then destroyed simultaneously, eliminating any opportunities for confidential records to be lost or viewed by unauthorized parties. Each tamper-evident bin can also be labeled with a unique identifying code for tracking and security purposes. Overall, this invention offers a more secure and efficient way to dispose of confidential items than any known method."

Problems solved by technology

While secured within the tamper-evident bins, such confidential items remain securely out of sight; and unauthorized removal would be evidenced by damage to the tamper-evident bins.

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