Alternative to shredding paper

You could call a commercial shredding service.



Shredders that produce strips of paper are pretty useless, btw. Banks aren't allowed to use 'em, or use 'em without further processes.



You could use the paper in a composter.

it's not that much for a commercial company

I was more-or-less suggesting that you do a risk assessment. I'm not understanding why, if it's not important enough to get a shredder why you'd go to the effort and mess of soaking the items.

Soaking it in the bathtub just sounds like a good way to trash your bathroom. First, it won't destroy all of the information. Second, it will be messy. Third, sopping-wet paper is gonna be heavy.

If it's important enough, call a commercial service, and find out if they have drop-off services.

well, that's why I was asking if anyone knew an alternative way to destroy paper if it's too much to individually shred.

The burning idea....why is it okay to sit on your front patio and burn stuff with a fire pit, but not ok to take a clay pot with a wire screen, and sit on your patio and burn paper?

I don't need a risk assessment or commercial company. I've got **** I want to get rid of and don't want to get into composting.

I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on how to destroy paper other than shredding.

I have a shredder. I don't have the time or inclination to sit around for hours shredding because so much as piled up.

Um, burn what you want.

Who cares?

Burn in small amounts so it doesnt attract attention.


Dont you have a fire place?

That is what MINE is for.. (fireplace)

Hey, that's what I was going to say. I say do whatever you need to do, even if it's illegal, until you get caught. Everything is legal if you don't get caught.

I'd rent you my fireplace

shewolf & kicky,

if it was up to me, I'd be burning away.

Someone else who lives here is all "one of the GD neighbors will report us"

I said, "Who? Dave & Vanessa? Diane & Dan? Ed? The British couple we never see who live arcross the street, the 2 lesbians that have the illegal martial arts studio on their 2nd floor?"

This someone says "Naw...not them, but some GD person who lives....behind us or on the next street will see the smoke and call the police. Some people will call the police for anything."

I gotta decide what hill I want to die on today. I've already called someone else in my house a pack rate, and told this person they are never allowed to stop at a garage sale ever again. This person has his own man cave, which is fine with me, until the stone tools and bits of bone start creeping into the rest of the house. This person must have some through back decorating gene in his system, like from some Aunt Tilly from 300 years ago with her antimacassars and ****. This person is freaking in love with little boxes that one could, for instance, put hat pins in, or slightly larger ones that will keep your candle stubs all in one place. He's got boxes for holding snuff, ones for storing flint for starting a fire, nibs for fountain pens, and spare calling cards. In other words for **** that people have used in a long long time. Any of that stuff that may have crept out of the lair is being booted back in there today.

Anyway, the subject at hand.....

I have about a laundry basket full of stuff. I have to hide it somewhere or someone will want to look through every scrap of paper, which can't be burned.

Put it in the bottom of the cat's litter box.

It's a laundry-basket worth of paper? take your shredder in the backyard, carry out your laundry basket, make yourself a drink, plug in the shredder - and get it over with.

It's simply not enough stuff not to shred - and it's not worth the possible fines we'd get around here (and freakin' people do call - I recall one particular set set of neighbours from my childhood - always calling the fire department on other neighbours)

and the tub alternative - unh, not practical. You'll end up with a mess, and still not have gotten rid of the information you want to get rid of.

(if you'd started shredding when you first posted this, you'd be long done and onto a stress-free adult beverage)

no, I wouldn't.

this is a good shredder, but it only works about 15 minutes before you have to give it a breather (the big one in the office does the same thing). even using the shreddder at work, this is a multiple day project. Believe me.

I'm going to save it until the Fall, and when others are lighting their fire pits, I'll do mine.

I just can't believe shredding is the only option.



BTW, why would I want to do this in my backyard? It's a hundred degrees out there with high humidity.

Okay, it's a dumb question, but you did say "junk mail". Why not put it out in the trash for pickup? Junk sounds like trash to me, and surely Austin has trash collections. I do get checks from credit card companies wanting me to borrow money. I tear them in half. Half goes in one trash bag, half goes in another. I guess I'm saying I don't understand the problem.

Not a dumb question.

Yeah, there's junk mail, but also the other stuff, paid bills, receipts

when I get those credit card things that have our name and obviously inside some kind of "reservation" # or some BS like that. it goes in the to be shredded pile. Honestly? I'm not gonna sit there and divide up my "things with identify info" from "credit card soliciations" from "some old receipt w/ a credit card number".

I can be anal, but I ain't THAT anal.

And for anyone who says....well, you should just shred/tear up/whatever, as you go along....well, I didn't. I deal with the reality of the moment.

I'm gonna just leave it in the laundry basket tucked in a corner until it's not 100 degrees in the shade, and set the whole mess on fire in a container with a screen and a water hose near by when it's nice and cool out.

Composting? I only started gardening last year, so I thought I'd be all eco friendly and everything and have a compost heap. I ended up with some banana peels and eggs shell mixed w/ coffe ground before I realized a 25 bag of compost costs about 2 bucks.

The damn banana peels and crap never did anything but make a f*cking mess and waste my time.

Earth Mother I'm not.

S'okay. Mother Earth isn't especially fond of glossy paper, anyhow.

I'm only one woman roger.

I can only do so much.

excuse me, I've got to go burn some styrofoam.

How much is your time worth?

http://www.certified-shred.com/

Or if you're looking for free:

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/sws/disposal_c.htm



Or is it about the argument with hubby?

Is What about an argument with my husband?

drew dad....I....do....not....have enough stuff to shred to make paying $50 "worth my time"

The free shred day date was back in april. I'm not going to keep checking to see when the next one is.


Good Lord. All I was asking was if there was Another way to destroy paper. Nothing more complicated. No security assessments needed, no mobile shredders or waiting for free shred day, no sitting outside and shredding.

I've got the paper in a corner, I have a big house so it's not in the way. I'm going to burn it in the Fall.

Well, you could chew it up, one page at a time, into spitballs and aim them at Wally.