Best way to destroy documents

hoyles10

Not sure if i've posted this on the right board but I couldn't think of where else to ask.

I have a few bag fulls of documents that need destroying (Bills, old letters etc)... Does anyone know if there is a public incinerator type of place where I can take things to be destroyed? or does anyone have any tips on how to destroy large amounts of documentation?

I have a small bin for burning rubbish and a shredder but i'm just trying to save myself a few hours boring work

Niv

Well if you dont do it yourself there is always a chance that the info will be taken. Would that not be true? Do the job in bits, e.g during the ad breaks when your watching tv. Dont think of it as one big boring job.

puddy

im interested in this too. i find im overwhelmed by the amoutn of stuff that comes through the door, most of it is what i consider to be junk, but isnt actually 'junk mail', offers of credit cards, catalogues, etc, but they all have my name and address on it, both on the front letter but also on order forms, which are pre printed

so i often keep a big bag of it piling up and the shredder doesnt cope because it overheats and gets stuck, it drives me mad

for the time being, i take the bag of stuff to my mum who puts in their garden incinerator, but they live 70 miles away!! our garden is a bit small for burning up stuff

i think its a right nuisance

hoyles10

Niv wrote: »

Well if you dont do it yourself there is always a chance that the info will be taken. Would that not be true? Do the job in bits, e.g during the ad breaks when your watching tv. Dont think of it as one big boring job.

Very true but I wasn't sure if there was somewhere like a council depot that had a big incinerator where you could take something and see them throw it in.

Shredding it is then.... Oh joy.

I might keep dropping hints to the wife and hope when I come back from football at the weekend some of it will be done :rotfl:

casper_g

TBH I wouldn't be that concerned about something with just name and address details on it. I'd just stick it through a cheap shredder and leave the bits with the general rubbish. This may not be totally secure but if someone wants my name and address I'm sure there'll be easier ways to find it than sticking my shredded junk mail together.

If I had something with (e.g.) bank account details or credit card numbers then I'd start looking for something more secure (jenner's mum's garden incinerator sounds good).

Niv

See them throw it in! Very unlikely. H & S would have a fit if the 'public' were to get that close to the incinerator. I work for a waste management company and I know in the areas we operate the incinerators are privatly owned and have contracts with the local council for waste inputs or at the least council owned but privatly ran, either way - no way to get to the 'coal face' so to speak. Not sure if there are any/many true 'public' incinerators/tips etc these days tbh.

ormus

juts rip out any details, the name & address, account numbers etc.
all the rest can be thrown out with your normal papers.
then either burn the bits left or mash em up with some water.

hoyles10

Jenner's mum's garden incinerator it is then.... Where does she live? :rotfl:

I think there may be a gap in the market for a chain of public incinerators.... Off to Dragons Den I go then

Butterfly_Brain

I burn mine in the fire pit but you can obliterate all the details by shredding or tearing into small pieces put in a bowl of hot water and leave overnight this makes all the ink run into one unreadable mess

puddy

ormus wrote: »

juts rip out any details, the name & address, account numbers etc.
all the rest can be thrown out with your normal papers.
then either burn the bits left or mash em up with some water.

absolutely, but have you any idea how much there is

firstly theres bank stuff
then bill stuff
then catalogue stuff
then delivery stuff
then shopping stuff
then receipts
then unsolicited stuff

multiplied by 2

Nile

ormus wrote: »

juts rip out any details, the name & address, account numbers etc.
all the rest can be thrown out with your normal papers.
then either burn the bits left or mash em up with some water.

I do exactly the same ormus.;)

Whether it's paper or an envelope, I tear out the address or any reference to me (eg Dear X on a letter)..........and then shred these torn pieces in a cross cut shredder.

If I have to cut up an old credit card/cheque guarantee card.............I don't put all of the pieces in the dustbin in case some enterprising person could piece them back together.

I wonder how many people shred their mail/envelopes but............they then put empty medicines (bottles and tablet packets) and the paper bag from the chemist in the bin................and forget to remove the label which has your name on it.;)