OLD papers [How do I dispose of old papers?]

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brandy
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OLD papers [How do I dispose of old papers?]

Post by brandy »

cleaning out files.
How to dispose of old papers--8 years and more--when shredding/burning is not do-able. They have lots of id on them of course, :confused
barnaclebob
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Re: OLD papers

Post by barnaclebob »

Just dump it in the recycle. Nobody is going through your trash and it wont have the information needed to do anything to your accounts anyway. Nearly all identity theft is done electronically.

Often there will be "shredding events" at banks or other institutions where they will bring in an industrial shredding truck.
Faith20879
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Re: OLD papers

Post by Faith20879 »

My workplace has a professional shredder that is the size of a large cabinet. Before pandemic, we were allowed to bring our personal paper to shred.

Now DH puts the shredded stuff in a bin and leave in the rain. You won't see a thing after that.
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Re: OLD papers

Post by Dottie57 »

If you have a B&M bank - see if they have a free clean out/ recycle day for old papers.

I brought lots of paper bags filled with old papers to UPS for secure disposal (retail store location). You have to pay a fee.

Buy a shredder and do the shredding yourself. The put in recycling.
anoop
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Re: OLD papers

Post by anoop »

brandy wrote: Fri Sep 18, 2020 9:52 am cleaning out files.
How to dispose of old papers--8 years and more--when shredding/burning is not do-able. They have lots of id on them of course, :confused
You could
1> Tear them up manually.
2> Take it to a place that offers a shredding service -- office depot, ups store, fedex kinkos, etc. Cost is typically $1-$2 per lb.
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abuss368
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Re: OLD papers

Post by abuss368 »

brandy wrote: Fri Sep 18, 2020 9:52 am cleaning out files.
How to dispose of old papers--8 years and more--when shredding/burning is not do-able. They have lots of id on them of course, :confused
We did just this over years. Took a while but dropped $30 or so on a shredder at Staples. We now have about zero paper in house. Office is about empty.
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RudyS
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Re: OLD papers

Post by RudyS »

barnaclebob wrote: Fri Sep 18, 2020 9:57 am Just dump it in the recycle. Nobody is going through your trash and it wont have the information needed to do anything to your accounts anyway. Nearly all identity theft is done electronically.

Often there will be "shredding events" at banks or other institutions where they will bring in an industrial shredding truck.
Got a baby in the house? Tear the papers up and put into the bag with dirty diapers. I actually did this once upon a time.
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Re: OLD papers

Post by abuss368 »

barnaclebob wrote: Fri Sep 18, 2020 9:57 am Just dump it in the recycle. Nobody is going through your trash and it wont have the information needed to do anything to your accounts anyway. Nearly all identity theft is done electronically.

Often there will be "shredding events" at banks or other institutions where they will bring in an industrial shredding truck.
I agree. We stopped shredding receipts years ago. There is nothing on them to do anything.
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Watty
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Re: OLD papers

Post by Watty »

anoop wrote: Fri Sep 18, 2020 10:13 am 2> Take it to a place that offers a shredding service -- office depot, ups store, fedex kinkos, etc. Cost is typically $1-$2 per lb.
+1

I did this a few years ago.

I think that I had a coupon for about half price so you might look for coupons.

It might be worthwhile for you to sort through the paper to take out all the non-sensitive stuff.

If you decide to buy a shredder then be sure to get a good one. I had an old shredder but it was lightweight and you could only run it for about 10 minutes before it would shut down to prevent it from overheating. You then had to wait maybe 30 minutes for it to cool off.

When it finally died I replaced it with this one which can shred 15 sheets at at time and it has never shut down like that.

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sport
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Re: OLD papers

Post by sport »

Dottie57 wrote: Fri Sep 18, 2020 10:07 am Buy a shredder and do the shredding yourself. The put in recycling.
In my community, they do not want shredded paper in the recycling. We put it in the trash.
inbox788
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Re: OLD papers

Post by inbox788 »

brandy wrote: Fri Sep 18, 2020 9:52 am cleaning out files.
How to dispose of old papers--8 years and more--when shredding/burning is not do-able. They have lots of id on them of course, :confused
Do it in an ashtray the way spies have done it forever. Use a big pot for more and turn on the vent.
https://www.pond5.com/stock-footage/ite ... er-ashtray

Flush it down the toilet the way drug dealers have gotten rid of evidence. Put it through a blender first if you're worried about clogs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06rwGoPNekE

Or since you're already blending, make pulp and recycle the paper.
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Paper-Pulp

What's on 8 year old accounts that's still relevant today? Other than an old account number and social security number, which are already in many databases, especially the latter. If the account is closed, is there any risk, and if there is, what's the chance someone will find it and go through the trouble?

8 years is a lot of paper files to deal with all at once. I can't handle that load, so I deal with each account one at a time. I've thrown out old closed accounts entirely after a while when everything is settled. I've thinned out other files, but as long as the account is open, I keep at least something recent with account number. This came in handy when Scholarshare updated their system and required an account number. For security reasons, no account numbers are on electronic documents anymore. Saved me a phone call and long verification process.
protagonist
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Re: OLD papers

Post by protagonist »

barnaclebob wrote: Fri Sep 18, 2020 9:57 am Just dump it in the recycle. Nobody is going through your trash and it wont have the information needed to do anything to your accounts anyway. Nearly all identity theft is done electronically.

+1.

Life is too short to worry much about very low probability events. You are probably more likely to die in an auto accident yet you probably still drive.
If you have an outdoor mailbox (as most of us do) your current "sensitive data" is at much greater risk than 8 year old papers that you toss in recycling.
rich126
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Re: OLD papers

Post by rich126 »

I've just tried to slowly do them via my shredder. In the "old" days working at the government they used to give you your pay stub on a thick elongated white index card (maybe 4" high by 8" long) and it had your complete SSN on it. I had years of that stuff (biweekly pay) and could only shred a couple at a time. Some I threw into the fireplace. Ditto for keeping 20+ years of tax returns, another slow shredding event.

At one time near where I worked they would often excess and sell office equipment and a friend once bought a heavy duty shredder. I really wished I had one. It seems like as soon as you kind of catch up, you get tons of more papers.

While it is a bit risky I suppose you can put them into trash bags with food items and hope no one will go through them.
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celia
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Re: OLD papers

Post by celia »

Buy a cross-cut shredder, especially if you get medical or financial statements by mail. We use ours every week.
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Re: OLD papers

Post by flaccidsteele »

brandy wrote: Fri Sep 18, 2020 9:52 am cleaning out files.
How to dispose of old papers--8 years and more--when shredding/burning is not do-able. They have lots of id on them of course, :confused
Any articles during the collapse of the savings & loan industry? Those would be a blast to see again. Post them on Instagram if you have them!
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celia
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Re: OLD papers

Post by celia »

protagonist wrote: Fri Sep 18, 2020 12:01 pm Life is too short to worry much about very low probability events. You are probably more likely to die in an auto accident yet you probably still drive.
It's not low probability if you toss mail every day. It's low probability * 365 (or how many days we get mail (365-52 Sundays-10 holidays?)).
If you have an outdoor mailbox (as most of us do) your current "sensitive data" is at much greater risk than 8 year old papers that you toss in recycling.
I question "as most of us do". I only know one neighbor who has an outdoor mailbox. In the city, look at how many people live in condos or apartments that have a "bank" of mail slots on the wall for the residents.
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SmileyFace
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Re: OLD papers

Post by SmileyFace »

I used to shred everything (or have a back-yard fire) - but after the Equifax breach I stopped worrying so much knowing all my info was out there for the world. I have definitely dumped stuff into recycling or trash with ID info on them. Just make sure your credit is frozen - and you practice safe cyber-habits with everyone.

If you are concerned - you could go through the paperwork and just cut up the parts that have ID on them.
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brandy
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Re: OLD papers

Post by brandy »

most are old employment records including complete pay stubs.
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AAA
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Re: OLD papers

Post by AAA »

brandy wrote: Fri Sep 18, 2020 9:52 am cleaning out files.
How to dispose of old papers--8 years and more--when shredding/burning is not do-able. They have lots of id on them of course, :confused
Why is shredding not doable? With a 15-page capacity shredder like I have you could easily do a couple hundred pages in several minutes, while allowing some time so the shredder doesn't overheat. How many pages do you have?
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CAsage
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Re: OLD papers

Post by CAsage »

brandy wrote: Fri Sep 18, 2020 12:57 pm most are old employment records including complete pay stubs.
Is your SSN shown completely? If not, your income, tax situation, withholding, etc is probably of no use to anyone. Just chuck it in the recycling bin. If your SSN is on it, grab a box while watching TV, and tear off that corner, shred the smaller bits and recycle the bigger ones.
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Re: OLD papers

Post by lthenderson »

brandy wrote: Fri Sep 18, 2020 9:52 am cleaning out files.
How to dispose of old papers--8 years and more--when shredding/burning is not do-able. They have lots of id on them of course, :confused
Name and address are public information so don't worry about those. Many forms only contain last few digits of account numbers so don't worry about those. Honestly, I get maybe a couple hundred pages of stuff a year that has full account numbers to financial accounts that I shred and like someone said above, that amounts to about 15 minutes of shredding time.
inbox788
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Re: OLD papers

Post by inbox788 »

celia wrote: Fri Sep 18, 2020 12:13 pm Buy a cross-cut shredder, especially if you get medical or financial statements by mail. We use ours every week.
Medical? Who cares? Aside from a sensitive diagnosis, and some privacy issues, I don't think medical statements are targets. Is there a scam related to scavenged medical records? Nosy neighbors?
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celia
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Re: OLD papers

Post by celia »

inbox788 wrote: Fri Sep 18, 2020 3:21 pm
celia wrote: Fri Sep 18, 2020 12:13 pm Buy a cross-cut shredder, especially if you get medical or financial statements by mail. We use ours every week.
Medical? Who cares? Aside from a sensitive diagnosis, and some privacy issues, I don't think medical statements are targets. Is there a scam related to scavenged medical records? Nosy neighbors?
Besides sensitivity and privacy, we have received Medicare statements for services we never requested or received. We reported the apparent fraud but don’t know what Medicare did about it.

Nowadays, Medicare has a program where your medical history can automatically be shared with future doctors unless you opt out from info sharing. I don’t want someone treating me if I’m unconscious based on inaccurate records. Yes, the probability of harm is small, but so is the effort to shred.
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JoMoney
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Re: OLD papers

Post by JoMoney »

Not sure why burning isn't doable.. no bbq pit?
I've never tried it myself, but I've heard that as long as it's just paper, you can throw it in a bucket of water or a bleach-water solution letting it soak overnight (or longer) and it will deteriorate to a pulp that mashes into nothingness.
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Re: OLD papers

Post by Flobes »

brandy wrote: Fri Sep 18, 2020 9:52 am cleaning out files.
How to dispose of old papers--8 years and more--when shredding/burning is not do-able. They have lots of id on them of course
Product: Identity Theft Prevention Stamp Roller

These are small, ink rollers that spread a swath of gibberish, rendering text permanently unreadable. Available as stampers too.
Easy, quick, and effective. I've used them for years, on documents, shipping labels, etc. Surprised by how long they last.
Amazon, of course, stocks both both stamps and rollers in various sizes

Dottie57 wrote: Fri Sep 18, 2020 10:07 am Buy a shredder and do the shredding yourself. The put in recycling.
Where I live, you cannot simply put shredded paper into recycling. (Publicized reason is it messes with their processing machinery.)

But once I've ink "rolled" any secrets on my papers, I can put them into recycling, and away they go!
renter
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Re: OLD papers

Post by renter »

Add to the compost pile, mix in with the backyard chicken droppings, add water. Gone.
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Re: OLD papers

Post by Caduceus »

It depends on how many papers you have. Sometimes when I'm too lazy to do the shredding thing and the documents are quite private but not quite that important, I will usually tear them, wet them under the tap, and then leave them by the trash to be mixed in with disgusting food waste - remnants of pasta sauce, leftover grease, etc. And then I just toss them. 8-)

Another method I use is I will sometimes just casually cut out the important bits with a scissors (just do a quick snip, no need to be too accurate) and then one bag goes out in the usual trash, and the snipped parts are bagged up and tossed in a separate trash can somewhere far away, like when I'm going grocery shopping.
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brandy
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Re: OLD papers

Post by brandy »

Thanks all. What I did: for this batch I cut the SS numbers off and they aare in a bowl of water now. I came across a medical paper from 1998 verifying (with test/report) a condition I had then which was worsening. I had been asked a few weeks ago for proof of that situation. Now I have it, without having to rely on very busy doctor's staff :confused ... My proof is from hospital.
protagonist
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Re: OLD papers

Post by protagonist »

celia wrote: Fri Sep 18, 2020 12:22 pm
protagonist wrote: Fri Sep 18, 2020 12:01 pm Life is too short to worry much about very low probability events. You are probably more likely to die in an auto accident yet you probably still drive.
It's not low probability if you toss mail every day. It's low probability * 365 (or how many days we get mail (365-52 Sundays-10 holidays?)).
If you have an outdoor mailbox (as most of us do) your current "sensitive data" is at much greater risk than 8 year old papers that you toss in recycling.
I question "as most of us do". I only know one neighbor who has an outdoor mailbox. In the city, look at how many people live in condos or apartments that have a "bank" of mail slots on the wall for the residents.
My mistake. You are right, sorry. I still think driving (which many of us do daily as well) is much more dangerous than tossing your "sensitive data" in a landfill (a traffic accident can kill your whole family), yet the vast majority of us do it without thinking much about it. And how many of us have outdoor mailboxes, use credit cards online, or have apps on our phone that grant permission to some strange entity to access our data? You reveal your credit card to a stranger (and your entire spending history to who knows how many corporations) every time you use it to buy a cup of coffee. I am not arguing whether or not we should be doing those things....just that we should try to be aware of relative risk to preserve sanity. IMHO, the risk of throwing 8 year old documents (especially bank statements which are not very useful to thieves anyway) in recycling is much less than several risks that most of us take for granted, and worrying too much about it is anxiety poorly spent. Others may disagree....I respect that.
inbox788
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Re: OLD papers

Post by inbox788 »

celia wrote: Fri Sep 18, 2020 10:29 pmNowadays, Medicare has a program where your medical history can automatically be shared with future doctors unless you opt out from info sharing. I don’t want someone treating me if I’m unconscious based on inaccurate records. Yes, the probability of harm is small, but so is the effort to shred.
For OP with 8 years of records and no shredder, it might be quite an effort. It could be several boxes of paper or full filing cabinets. I've been reducing, thinning out, and throwing out old files one at a time instead on taking on the entire thing all at once. Manageable pieces.

I wouldn't have thought twice about throwing out boxes of my medical records and bills in my trashcan without bothering to shred them. [I'm not talking about a pharmacy or doctor office throwing out protected records that criminals have found ways to misuse] Now you've got me all paranoid about what a criminal could do with 8 years of all my medical records and bills in their hands. Is there a scam they can run?
brandy wrote: Sat Sep 19, 2020 9:21 amI came across a medical paper from 1998 verifying (with test/report) a condition I had then which was worsening. I had been asked a few weeks ago for proof of that situation. Now I have it, without having to rely on very busy doctor's staff :confused ... My proof is from hospital.
At least you derived some benefit from the cost of keeping 8 years of paper files. Sorry you're having trouble with it now, but seems hardly relevant what happened 20 years ago. And if it's giving you trouble for the last 20 years, there should be plenty of paper involving the condition.

FWIW, my gold investment is an old Intel Pentium chip I was going to throw away some years ago, but kept for novelty. It's up over 50%.
Last edited by inbox788 on Sat Sep 19, 2020 11:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: OLD papers

Post by weltschmerz »

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Re: OLD papers

Post by littlebird »

Dottie57 wrote: Fri Sep 18, 2020 10:07 am If you have a B&M bank - see if they have a free clean out/ recycle day for old papers.

I brought lots of paper bags filled with old papers to UPS for secure disposal (retail store location). You have to pay a fee.

Buy a shredder and do the shredding yourself. The put in recycling.
My recycler does not take shredded paper.
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Re: OLD papers

Post by Kelrex »

I think you are going to have to explain why shredding and burning aren't an option in order to get the most helpful answers, because otherwise the most logical answer is to find a way to shred or burn them.
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Re: OLD papers

Post by LilyFleur »

celia wrote: Fri Sep 18, 2020 12:13 pm Buy a cross-cut shredder, especially if you get medical or financial statements by mail. We use ours every week.
I got a nice cross-cut shredder from Costco earlier this year; it is small enough to fit easily in my walk-in closet. I had been taking bags of stuff to be shredded to Copies for Less and paying by the pound, but with going out less during COVID, I decided it was time to own my own shredder. It is great; it even shreds credit cards! It helps so that after I go through the mail, I immediately shred. I really hate those credit card solicitations, and I am now receiving them for three adults. I need to figure out what website to go to to get this stopped.
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Re: OLD papers

Post by LilyFleur »

celia wrote: Fri Sep 18, 2020 12:22 pm
protagonist wrote: Fri Sep 18, 2020 12:01 pm Life is too short to worry much about very low probability events. You are probably more likely to die in an auto accident yet you probably still drive.
It's not low probability if you toss mail every day. It's low probability * 365 (or how many days we get mail (365-52 Sundays-10 holidays?)).
If you have an outdoor mailbox (as most of us do) your current "sensitive data" is at much greater risk than 8 year old papers that you toss in recycling.
I question "as most of us do". I only know one neighbor who has an outdoor mailbox. In the city, look at how many people live in condos or apartments that have a "bank" of mail slots on the wall for the residents.
I live in a condo and at one point our locked mailroom was broken into and the thief banged the top of the mailbox "bank" and broke the whole thing open. My prescriptions were in the trash...
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tuningfork
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Re: OLD papers

Post by tuningfork »

I went through my decades of accumulated paper statements last year, many of which were old enough to have social security numbers. Since recyclers tend not to like shredded paper, I tried to minimize what I shredded. I tore off the part of each page that had personal sensitive info, shredded those with a cross-cut shredder, and recycled the non-shredded parts.

Today the main things I shred are paper checks after I deposit them via phone (possibly not necessary, but our recycler recommends to shred checks), those stupid credit card checks they keep mailing me that I never use, and the rare piece of paper that has a social security number. I try to avoid recycling any paper intact that correlates my name/address with wealth. Rather than shredding those pages, I usually just tear the page in half so the correlated bits aren't on the same sheet. These are all increasingly rare as I try to do everything electronically to avoid getting paper statements and checks.
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burt
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Re: OLD papers

Post by burt »

I shred everything with my name and address.
$40 shredder from Amazon will do the job.
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Re: OLD papers

Post by LilyFleur »

tuningfork wrote: Sat Sep 19, 2020 4:05 pm I went through my decades of accumulated paper statements last year, many of which were old enough to have social security numbers. Since recyclers tend not to like shredded paper, I tried to minimize what I shredded. I tore off the part of each page that had personal sensitive info, shredded those with a cross-cut shredder, and recycled the non-shredded parts.

Today the main things I shred are paper checks after I deposit them via phone (possibly not necessary, but our recycler recommends to shred checks), those stupid credit card checks they keep mailing me that I never use, and the rare piece of paper that has a social security number. I try to avoid recycling any paper intact that correlates my name/address with wealth. Rather than shredding those pages, I usually just tear the page in half so the correlated bits aren't on the same sheet. These are all increasingly rare as I try to do everything electronically to avoid getting paper statements and checks.
You are receiving your statements electronically, and they are still sending you those checks? Call them right away and ask them to stop. I did that years ago. It works, until you get a new credit card, and then you'll have to call on the new card. It almost seems like it ought to be illegal to mail you checks that you haven't requested and are not on the lookout for. It's an opportunity for fraud and not consumer friendly.
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Re: OLD papers

Post by yules »

RudyS wrote: Fri Sep 18, 2020 11:01 am
barnaclebob wrote: Fri Sep 18, 2020 9:57 am Just dump it in the recycle. Nobody is going through your trash and it wont have the information needed to do anything to your accounts anyway. Nearly all identity theft is done electronically.

Often there will be "shredding events" at banks or other institutions where they will bring in an industrial shredding truck.
Got a baby in the house? Tear the papers up and put into the bag with dirty diapers. I actually did this once upon a time.
It also works if you have an older person who wears diapers in the house. It also works if you have good aim.

Cheers,
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Re: OLD papers

Post by abuss368 »

One other point to consider: I made all financial documents 100% electronic. That is we have not had one statement, bill, account document, etc. arrive in our mailbox in years.

We don’t print out and no longer retain or keep binders or folders. Nothing to shred. Everything available online. Over the decades I never had a need or request once.

I focused on the source to lower and make clean up easier on the back end.
John C. Bogle: “Simplicity is the master key to financial success."
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Sandi_k
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Re: OLD papers

Post by Sandi_k »

In the local urban area, there is a shredding service where you can drive in, they unload your shred boxes, and you can WATCH while they shred your material in front of you.

My DH is enamored of the service, as he has years of business records, including payroll records for past employees, that contain sensitive info.

Maybe you have something similar?
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Re: OLD papers

Post by RudyS »

Sandi_k wrote: Mon Sep 21, 2020 2:11 pm In the local urban area, there is a shredding service where you can drive in, they unload your shred boxes, and you can WATCH while they shred your material in front of you.

My DH is enamored of the service, as he has years of business records, including payroll records for past employees, that contain sensitive info.

Maybe you have something similar?
We have a similar service. You can just given them boxes or bags that they will secure and shed, or for a small extra fee, shred while you watch.
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Re: OLD papers

Post by Everlasting »

Sandi_k wrote: Mon Sep 21, 2020 2:11 pm In the local urban area, there is a shredding service where you can drive in, they unload your shred boxes, and you can WATCH while they shred your material in front of you.

My DH is enamored of the service, as he has years of business records, including payroll records for past employees, that contain sensitive info.

Maybe you have something similar?
To avoid social contact, rather buy a paper shredder and shred it yourself.
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Re: OLD papers

Post by Sandi_k »

Everlasting wrote: Tue Sep 22, 2020 2:51 am
Sandi_k wrote: Mon Sep 21, 2020 2:11 pm In the local urban area, there is a shredding service where you can drive in, they unload your shred boxes, and you can WATCH while they shred your material in front of you.

My DH is enamored of the service, as he has years of business records, including payroll records for past employees, that contain sensitive info.

Maybe you have something similar?
To avoid social contact, rather buy a paper shredder and shred it yourself.
Did you miss the part where I said BOXES? Nope, not sitting for hours sending them through 5 pages at a time.
Nicolas
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Re: OLD papers

Post by Nicolas »

Bury them underground. They will either rapidly decay or only be found after everyone’s dead.
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abuss368
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Re: OLD papers

Post by abuss368 »

We requested that our health insurance provider stop mailing Explanation of Benefits since they are available online.

I have focused on the root of the cause. This has worked wonders. We shred less than ever. Almost nothing. Shredder sits in office room and when it breaks will probably not be replaced at this point.
John C. Bogle: “Simplicity is the master key to financial success."
hudson
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Re: OLD papers [How do I dispose of old papers?]

Post by hudson »

If I had to get rid of 8 years of stuff, I'd first look for a local shredding event.
Once I took it all to Office Max and they shredded a lot for around $50.
After that I don't keep paper; I take a pic or scan it. Then I tear the document in fourths or eighths. Half goes into the garbage, half to the recycle.
I could have visited the local landfill and dumped a load of papers there. Maybe I'd put the papers in a black plastic bag, then pour grease or some kind of goop in the bag. They don't let anyone go through the trash. They bury everything by the end of the day.
rjbraun
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Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2012 8:22 pm

Re: OLD papers [How do I dispose of old papers?]

Post by rjbraun »

I'm rather amazed by the responses. Not sure whether people's willingness to just toss and forget (not worry about) the papers is more surprising or the desire to take the papers to a "shredding event" (or similar) rather than just spring for a paper shredder.

I had accumulated way more than eight years worth of papers. Okay, no idea whether OP or I had more volume per year, but I was pulling papers going back far longer than eight years.

In any case, I got a $100 or so shredder on Amazon. Actually, I sourced the machine from leads on this forum, but as the shredder is no longer available I am not posting a link. If OP has tons of paper to shred, no better a test for a brand new shredder still under warranty than to give the machine a workout. Just budget a few days of continuous shredding, with adequate shredder cool down time, while OP has something of interest to watch on TV, etc.

A work colleague mentioned running into a high school friend he hadn't seen in years. Turns out the friend worked for Iron Mountain. The friend claimed that someone on the street offered him $20 (or whatever) in exchange for the bin of papers he was carting to return to Iron Mountain for shredding. No idea of the veracity of the story, but it's enough for me to just shred at home. Besides, I don't have a car and for me to lug many, many pounds of papers to Staples to shred is way more work than sitting at home and shredding.

After I shred, by the way, I try to toss the shredded pieces around in a large bag to mix things up, fwiw.
atikovi
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Re: OLD papers [How do I dispose of old papers?]

Post by atikovi »

I can't imagine what sort of papers need shredding that have some top secret information that would get you in trouble if exposed. My county has a truck that comes around every week to your house to pick up paper and they supply you a 55 gallon container to put it in. OP could probably get all his paper disposed of in a few weeks. I suppose the trash collectors or workers at the sorting facility could go through your papers looking for something useful, but with the hundreds of tons they go through a day, they would more likely find an unclaimed winning Powerball ticket first.
Toadandfriends
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Re: OLD papers [How do I dispose of old papers?]

Post by Toadandfriends »

I just disposed of 20lbs at Staples. Papers go in a locked box and then a service picks it up and shreds it. They charge by the pound. They gave my five pounds free when I signed up for a Staples rewards card. (not credit card).
Great feeling! Go for it.
Best,
Toadandfriends
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