Shredding documents - is it enough?

[BMW]

Maybe I'm paranoid, but, I don't throw any piece of paper away that has any of our names on it... period... I tear off the name and shred... and then I shred any account statements, etc. My question is, is that enough? Do crooks take time to try to piece shredded papers together? Should I shred and burn?
Thanks!
B

[Barb F. PA in AZ]

Shredding is sort of like locks on your house. They won't stop the most determined criminal, but will deter most of them because they are looking for the easiest target.

Barb

[j.griff]

If you wanna be super-duper sure they can't use your info for "evil", LOL, then make yourself a big old bonfire. :D

[abbeyej]

I think it's excessive.

But then, you'll have lots of material if you want to do papier maché... I bet it would be hard for the criminals to dismantle your papier maché giraffe and reassemble your name and address from that.

[KAR120C]

LOL... We have a "crosscut" shredder which chops everything into little confetti bits. Great for the security end of it (anyone who sat there sticking tiny little squares of paper back together to get a credit card offer with my name on it could have made more money doing honest work in less time and with less effort!) but I wonder how the paper-recycling guys like all those little bits floating around. We take it to the center ourselves because otherwise when they dump our bin in the truck a cup or two end up on the lawn... *sigh*

But we do have a compost bin, and I think paper would probably rot pretty well in there... and really if anyone wanted to sift through banana peels and eggshells and live spiders... and THEN stick tiny little squares of paper back together... well, they're more desperate than I thought! ;)

[Mekanamom]

I think it's excessive.

But then, you'll have lots of material if you want to do papier maché... I bet it would be hard for the criminals to dismantle your papier maché giraffe and reassemble your name and address from that.


LOL, I was just thinking about how the kids and I sometimes make new paper out of the shredded stuff... it's fun!

But, we don't make that much paper...

To the OP: I feel pretty secure after shredding. But if it worries you, I'd say go ahead and burn it up. (After making a few sheets of new paper... it really is fun to do!)

[Mamagistra]

If you wanna be super-duper sure they can't use your info for "evil", LOL, then make yourself a big old bonfire. :D

LOL That was going to be my suggestion. :) We can do so on our land, but how nice to have one where you are, jgriff, on the beach!

[GVA]

When the American Embassy in Iran was seized in 1979 the Americans thought that all was "well" because everything was shredded or taken with them when they left. The Iranians hired weavers to put together the shreds and supposedly got some of the state secrets left behind.

During my working days in defense-related programs we always shredded and then they took away the bags to be burned in an incinerator. We learned something in Tehran...

[pixelroper]

second the bonfire-- we always burn the shredded stuff:D

[JFS in IL]

in the litter box.... with four cats i don't think what is left is salvageable.

[nestof3]

I don't empty my shredder until it is full, and then I dump it all in a trash bag. I really cannot imagine anyone putting all of those little diamonds back together again properly -- I mean, it's a trash bag full!

It seems it would be easier just to raid the neighbor's trashcan who doesn't shred.

I do sometimes compost my shreds too -- it just depends.

[Liz CA]

If you wanna be super-duper sure they can't use your info for "evil", LOL, then make yourself a big old bonfire. :D

this time of year I burn everything in the woodstove, sometimes I stack up old credit card offers etc. in an old cardboard box and keep it until burn season.

[Tap, tap, tap]

[QUOTE=KAR1200;132971] I wonder how the paper-recycling guys like all those little bits floating around. We take it to the center ourselves because otherwise when they dump our bin in the truck a cup or two end up on the lawn... *sigh* QUOTE]



To solve this problem: We empty the confetti into paper grocery bags, tape shut and mark as paper recycling with a permanent marker.



I wouldn't use a strip shredder for important documents like tax records, medical records (often contain social sec. numbers) or banking records. I think that cross cut shredding both secure and traditional material like credit card offers is sufficient.

Even with a secured mail box, it would still take a thief less time to use a crow bar and open my entire neighborhoods unopened mailboxes...than to piece together a bag of mixed documents. I feel cross cut shredding is very safe.

[CleoQc]

Get a hamster and the Amazing hamster powered paper shredder!

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/gadgets/hamster-powered-paper-shredder-251224.php

Who would want to look into shredded paper that's been peed on, chewed on and worse, by a hamster?