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How do you dispose of confidential waste?

36 replies

canthavetoomanylights · 30/05/2026 13:48

I don’t have a shredder. I have lots of paperwork with personal/financial info on to get rid of. Short of a bonfire (I won’t) what else would you do.

OP posts:
Soontobe60 · 30/05/2026 13:51

I just put things like that in the paper recycling on bin day.

Hotupnorth · 30/05/2026 13:51

I'd get a shredder especially if you've a lot paper to get rid of. Is there one at your work you could quietly use?

Another option would be ripping every sheet into tiny pieces but the novelty would quickly wear off. The only other thing I can think of is soaking all the paper so it turns into a mulch, but that might be quite time consuming, and I'm not sure about the success rate.

MeltyMomenrs · 30/05/2026 13:51

Buy a shredder. I use mine all the time. I leave it plugged in so it's easy to use. They're not expensive.(it has to go in general waste too, not recycling)

you could pay to have someone collect it, but it's expensive & a trust thing.

you could put it into a bucket isn't audit water but it's a bloody faff.

tiramisugelato · 30/05/2026 13:54

We burn it in the fire pit in summer, or the wood burner in winter.

MyAutumnCrow · 30/05/2026 13:57

Hot soapy bath, mulch it down, make attractive sculptures and death masks.

Or buy a shredder from Argos.

momager22 · 30/05/2026 13:59

I just rip the bits with names and identifying info on into tiny bits

VimesandhisCardboardBoots · 30/05/2026 14:23

I just chuck it in the recycling. I do have a chep shredder but rarely can be arsed to use it.

To be honest, I get so little paper stuff these days that the chances of someone going through my paper recycling and actually finding anything more incriminating than my worrying pizza intake is minimal.

Friendlygingercat · 30/05/2026 14:28

I go through every sheet and black out the name/address with a thick sharpie before I shred it. I'm am thinking of the patience of the Iranians who assembled all those strips of paper from the American embassy to identify staff.

SleepingisanArt · 30/05/2026 14:31

We have a decent shredder and then bags of shredding go in the bin. I have also used a local shredding service when I had a lot of papers from my parents house to get rid of. They collected and sent me photos of the sealed bags going into their massive shredder along with a certificate of destruction! I could have taken it to them and watched it being shredded but chose the collection due to the number of bags.

purplecorkheart · 30/05/2026 14:41

I invested in a good shredder. I fill an outside bin with the shredding and mix the shreds well. There are a few people in my town who use the shreds for animal bedding and packaging. (I do know those people for years!)

Miranda65 · 30/05/2026 14:48

Shred for regular/occasional use.
After a massive paperwork clearout, we burnt in a cheap garden incinerator - why can't you do this?

NerdyBird · 30/05/2026 14:51

I’ve got a little roller that covers up your details - takes seconds and you can do both sides if needed. A shredder that cross cuts is better if it’s full sheets of paper that have the information.

LarksAscending · 30/05/2026 14:52

Get a stamp that disguises the wording.

7238SM · 30/05/2026 14:56

Any reason you can't buy a shredder? Get a cross cut one, not the cheaper straight cut ones. When I sift post, it goes straight in there and done in 5 seconds.

My in laws have one of these roller pens which covers the info, then they throw in their regular recycling. musthaveideas.co.uk/products/data-defender

MotherofPufflings · 30/05/2026 14:58

We've got a shredder which I absolutely love using 😂 But you can also soak it in the sink so it's soft, scrunch it up and chuck it in the garden waste.

TheChosenTwo · 30/05/2026 14:58

I just put it in my recycling bin.

squashyhat · 30/05/2026 15:02

Cheap shredder and then into the garden compost bin. Being dry it offsets the damper content such as weeds, kitchen waste etc. My compost is awesome!

miaCara · 30/05/2026 15:03

For bank statements etc i just tear off all identifying details and leave the rest of the page intact. The torn off pieces can be retorn or soaked to make a mulch . The whole lots go in paper recycling.

numbers23113 · 30/05/2026 15:04

Water mulch then compost in garden. I don't have space for a shredder unfortunately. But if i did i would compost the shredding!

FIFIBEBE · 30/05/2026 15:16

Get a shredder. My borough is coming down hard on waste found in streets with addresses on. Issuing large fines with little room for appeal.

ismiledather · 30/05/2026 17:22

I don’t think you can put shredded paper in recycling bins. I believe it has to be a certain size to be processed and recycled.

MyAutumnCrow · 30/05/2026 17:43

ismiledather · 30/05/2026 17:22

I don’t think you can put shredded paper in recycling bins. I believe it has to be a certain size to be processed and recycled.

Yes, my council says not to put shredded paper in recycling bins, but to put it in with food waste (which gets composted).

Hummusanddipdip · 30/05/2026 17:45

Give it to M&FiL who burn it in winter in the fire pit in the garden

redboxerclub · 30/05/2026 17:49

If you have bags and bags pay for a one off service. Or steal a confidential waste bag from work and don’t tell them.

alloutofcareunits · 30/05/2026 18:02

tiramisugelato · 30/05/2026 13:54

We burn it in the fire pit in summer, or the wood burner in winter.

This. Just throw in the wood burner and set a match to it. My DM asks me to take hers home and do the same as she does t have a shredder. Alternatively, set light to it in an old plant pot in the garden if no fire pit.

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