How to Use No CUI in Trash or Recycling Signs

No CUI in Trash or Recycling Signs are used to remind employees, visitors, contractors, and cleaning staff that Controlled Unclassified Information should never be placed in normal trash cans, recycling bins, desk-side wastebaskets, or unsecured disposal areas.

Place these signs near trash cans, recycling bins, print/copy areas, document review stations, engineering workspaces, production areas, file rooms, conference rooms, and any location where employees may handle or dispose of printed CUI documents.

These signs are especially useful in offices, manufacturing floors, labs, quality departments, shipping areas, program offices, and shared workspaces where CUI documents may be printed, reviewed, staged, marked up, or discarded.

For best results, place the sign directly above or near trash and recycling containers so employees see the reminder before disposing of paper. These signs should be paired with clearly marked CUI Authorized Destruction Containers so employees know where CUI documents should go instead.

No CUI in Trash or Recycling Signs do not replace your organization’s CUI destruction procedures. Instead, they help reinforce those procedures at the point where mistakes are most likely to happen.

Best used for: trash areas, recycling stations, print rooms, copy rooms, desks, conference rooms, document control areas, engineering offices, production floors, inspection areas, file rooms, and shared workspaces.

Recommended use: Place near normal trash and recycling containers, especially in areas where CUI is printed, reviewed, stored, discussed, or handled.

How it Helps: Affixing a sign that says "No CUI in Trash or Recycling" to trash cans in a work environment helps prevent the accidental or intentional disposal of Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) in unsecured bins. This is critical for:

This practice is especially important in environments handling sensitive data, ensuring compliance and protecting against potential threats.