... with a mountain of slightly confidential papers

[RidgewayLass]

I have about 3 cardboard boxes full of paper that has my name and address and more or less personal info on it - bank statements, letters in triplicate from the Inland Revenue and so on.

DH is insistent that we shouldn't just chuck the whole lot in the dustbin and pray. I'm not sure what anyone can do with bank statements for expired accounts from 1987 but I get his point about the more recent stuff.

I did get an electric shredder that said it could shred 10 sheets at a time, but it packed up after about 10 mouthfuls. I've got a fabulous handshredder that does quite well with one sheet at a time, and which DD finds very entertaining, but between the two of us it could take a month and we'd probably get RSI.

I can't burn it as we aren't allowed bonfires here.

I've tried composting - maybe I should revisit that one again. hmmmm....

What does everyone else do with this stuff?

[LittleCheesyPineappleOne]

buy a new shredder? That's what I had to do when my DH tried to cram through 15 pages at a time and the damn thing broke. A decent quality one (£30-40) should last for years - ours gets used most days with all the junk mail etc.

[BeenBeta]

Make sure you get a cross cut shredder - not just one that makes strips.

We shred everything we get with our name, address or data on - even envelopes.

[LittleCheesyPineappleOne]

YY re cross cut shredder. We have a Rymans own brand that has been great.

[JiggeryPopery]

yes to cross cut shredder
Be sceptical about '10 pages at once' - I'd go with a maximum of 8 to be safe.

[thatsnotmymonkey]

Can you start doing it in at work if they have a "confidential waste" shredder?

[Gay40]

Some companies who do recycling on a grand scale also have a facility for smaller stuff. A business near to us sells confidential waste sacks which you can just buy 1 of, then drop it back and they'll destroy it for you.

[BeenBeta]

Yes do say 1/2 a box then leave the machine to cool. Dont expect to do the whole lot in one go. Also I do it no more than 3 sheets in at a time but feed them in a continuous stream rather than stop start.

[AMumInScotland]

It's also worth getting some shredder oil, or the paper sachet equivalent. I think of them as tasty "shredder treats" and feed mine one every couple of months. You can also try just cutting the important info off the sheet and only shredding that bit, to reduce the bulk - I get letters from credit cards, and just shred the top half of page 1, as the rest of it wouldnt be any use to fraudsters.