Getting Personal
Shredding papers
Question: I have the option of putting my shredded documents in plastic bags out with the recycling. Is that safe? Or is it better to throw it in the garbage? Michelle, Vermillion, SD
Answer: Well, I'm glad you shred your documents. It's a good habit to get into in an era when identity theft is all too common. For peace of mind, the first thing I would do is make sure that your shredder is a "cross-cut" shredder rather than a "strip-cut" shredder. The former cuts up the paper into smaller pieces and, according to the experts, makes it that much harder for anyone to put the paper back together. I would then recycle the paper. Depending on your level of concern, you could also consider a shredding service. It isn't expensive, and these companies then send the shredded paper to a mill to be recycled.
10/01/09 by Chris FarrellSearch
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Comments (2)
October 8, 2009 10:39 AM PT
I have heard that not all recycling places are set up to accept paper shreds, do you know if that is true? I hear that they can mess up the machine. I find that hard to believe but have seen it on a few web sites. I do use a cross cut paper shredder for all my shredding.
October 10, 2009 1:03 PM PT
I always destroy any document that has any personal or account information on them but I do it by using them to start my charcoal grill. The documents are completely destroyed and I don't need to use charcoal lighter fluid. I pretty much always recycle newspaper and cardboard, but the paper with any personally identifiable information is put to a use I need anyway. You could also use them to start a fire in your fireplace, if you have one. No need to buy a shredder or pay for a service to destroy any papers. Just an option…