OT: Paper Shredders

[Terry Casey]

If you have several different documents, sort and group them together.

Take one group and identify all the areas that contain details you want to remove then cut or tear these bits off and shred them. The rest can be ecycled in the usual way.

Only a very small portion of our paperwork gies through the shredder.

For example, my credit card statement has all the identity info and credit card details on the top sheet, which goes through the shredder.

The remainder, now that it is so much easier to swipe the card than mess about with notes and change, can run to a few sheets but only the transactions appear on these, no identification detail at all, so these go straight in the recycling unshredded.

If someone wants to find out that someone completely unidentifiable drinks in the Centurion, buys petrol at Asda, shops variouly at Lidl, Asda, Wilkinsons, Curtis Bakery, Spar and Pennels Garden Centre and various other local outlets, plus a few on-line purchases, good luck to them!

[Tim Watts]

How much would it cost for a one off dump on a confidential shredding service?

[Terry Casey]

CORRECTION!

Just checked some CC statements (I've built up a bit of a backlog!) and they DO have my name and CC number at the top of every sheet but it is an easy matter to tear of a 1" strip and shred those. The rest, as I said, is recyled unshredded.

[Halmyre]

The contractor that does our stuff actually has a shredder in their van, I think one of our security bods has to watch them process it.

[Rob Morley]

That guy may be enthusiastic and well-intentioned but he seems a bit lacking in the clue department, and the video goes soo slooowly. Also it seems that he's trying to be Matthias Wandel.

[Andy Burns]

You could try the Furze version

[Brian Gaff]

I did wonder whether a garden chippings maker might work. Brian

[tabbypurr]

Industrial shredders of that sort of design are a delight to use compared to the incapable soho type. But they're not exactly cheap, and they lack the basic safety features one would want for domestic use.

It does, but not well. And they're very noisy.

If you need to do a lot fast & can't burn them, pulping is the way to go.

NT

[R D S]

I've got it, pleased with it as far as putting a load of A4 in it goes but as you say I suspect it will struggle with things that are odd shapes and thicknesses.

[T i m]

I think 'good' and 'cheap' are an oxymoron when it comes to many things, including (especially?) paper shredders.

Dad bought a big one that will do CD's and credit cards for his SOHO and it will take a thin magazines worth of paper on one go.

The problem with that is how fast it fills up it's pretty big collection bin!

A mate closed his shop after 15 or so years trading and along with the paperwork he was bound to keep (for a few years anyway), he had about

10 bank boxes *full* of all sorts of paperwork (inc card payment slips and cheque stubs). He only had a std office shredder and so the Mrs I and I offered to shred it all for him. I was de stapling and removing any very stiff cardboard covers and she was on the actual shredding and it took us a good few hours and many big paper sacks of shredding's. I don't remember the shredder ever cutting out (overheating) but you could smell / feel that it was getting a bit warm.

He and I have gone though a few 'cheap' shredders over the years so 'you get's what you pays for'.

Cheers, T i m

[tabbypurr]

Yes, Though shredders are one of those things where you don't really get what you pay for in that their claimed sheet capacity is always hopelessly optimistic, and even a basic degree of longevity depends on using them way below rated capacity.

NT

[Andrew]

If you have plenty of time on your hands, then just laboriously tear out the name and account number. Unless you have got to the age where your muscles have weakened too much, you should be able to take about 10 identical-format statements and tear them in one go. The just chuck them in the paper recycling bin.

Why can't you burn them ?. Don't you know anyone with a log burner ?.

You could put them in a builders bucket and fill up with water and plenty of bleach and just wait for it to turn to paper mush, then flush it down the bog.

[Andrew]

Just bury them in the garden, or put on a compost heap. The slugs will soon chew their through them.

[Andrew]

You really must NOT put shredded paper in the recycling bin. Our blue bins full of plastic, cans, cardboard and paper go to one of those sorting facilities and shredded paper bungs up the machinery. It's one of the things council have told us that we must not do.

If you are going to the trouble of shredding, then just compost it afterwards (if you have a garden).

[Tim Watts]

Actually shredded paper and cardboard mixed in with grass clippings at about 1:1 makes the grass compost 100 times better and faster as it stops the pile collapsing to slime.

[Andrew]

+1. Bloody pain when the organisation 'improves the customer experience' by redesigning a statement for no good reason.

[Robin]

That is not true of all recycling collections. The only simple rule is "check your council's guidance".

[whisky-dave]

Send them to the govenemrnt records department and tell them they must be kept for record purposes then they'll get shredded like the windrush documents.

[mechanic]

...and oiling them occasionally helps.

[R D S]

The missus wants it, not sure what she's shredding but we have an opticians so it's probably best not to give it next door to chuck on the burner! Effing nanny state!