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Old Yesterday, 10:27
DMN1968
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Had a clear out in the loft and have about 15 years worth of old documents I want to get rid of - what is the easiest way to safely dispose of these without putting myself at risk of identity theft?

The documents include stuff such as old payslips, mortgage statements, utility bills, CVs, photocopies of birth certificates - stuff that would be useful for someone trying to steal my identity and we are told we should always shred - but nothing newer than 5 years old.

Obviously shredding would be ideal, but it would take me about a month to shred that lot. And I don't want them blowing around on a rubbish dump as the ones near us are overrun with certain types who are on the lookout for documents of this type.
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Old Yesterday, 10:33
Ginger Daddy
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First hit on Google:

http://www.homeshreduk.co.uk/Home-Paper-Shredding.html

There are some companies that will actually shred it outside your home in a lorry so you can see it being done, though.
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Old Yesterday, 10:42
tim59
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Had a clear out in the loft and have about 15 years worth of old documents I want to get rid of - what is the easiest way to safely dispose of these without putting myself at risk of identity theft?

The documents include stuff such as old payslips, mortgage statements, utility bills, CVs, photocopies of birth certificates - stuff that would be useful for someone trying to steal my identity and we are told we should always shred - but nothing newer than 5 years old.

Obviously shredding would be ideal, but it would take me about a month to shred that lot. And I don't want them blowing around on a rubbish dump as the ones near us are overrun with certain types who are on the lookout for documents of this type.
Can you not burn them ?
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Old Yesterday, 10:42
killjoy
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Burn it, garden incinerator.
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Old Yesterday, 10:43
Galaxy266
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My niece had a lot of important papers which she wished to be securely destroyed.

She considered various options but, in the end, her husband bought an incinerator and they burnt them. There's certainly no possible chance of them being taken by someone else, that's for sure!

Something like: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/90L-GALVAN...EAAOSw8cNUNwSI
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Old Yesterday, 10:57
davidmcn
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The documents include stuff such as old payslips, mortgage statements, utility bills, CVs, photocopies of birth certificates - stuff that would be useful for someone trying to steal my identity and we are told we should always shred - but nothing newer than 5 years old.
If it's all that old then it's going to be pretty useless for identity theft, so I wouldn't worry too much.
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Old Yesterday, 11:52
LakieLady
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I'd take it to work, an A4 envelope full at a time, and stick it in the confidential waste in the post room.

It'd take a few weeks, but it would cost me nothing.
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Old Yesterday, 13:00
Lou Kelly
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Throw it over the back fence
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Old Yesterday, 15:25
Phil Dodd
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As others have said, an incinerator is a good way, provided that you have a garden.

I bought a mini incinerator from a hardware shop. It was specifically made for burning paperwork. I stood it inside a metal wheelbarrow. It took me around 4 hours to burn a lifetime of paperwork. The ash I was able to put on the compost heap.

Don't burn wage slips or P60s. When you retire, you may need them to show to the pensions people just how much national insurance payments you did pay. Even with computers, they sometimes can't work it out without your help.

Also remember that when you retire and when you die, you need to be able to produce a birth certificate to prove how old you are and where you were born, so keep one in an obvious place.

Yes, a mini incinerator does a good job. It does get hot, so get some thick gardening gloves. And it is SO satisfying burning the past !
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Old Yesterday, 15:53
cnbcwatcher
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Get a shredder and then put the shreddings into a black plastic bag or if you have pets use them for the litter tray or cage (for rabbits or hamsters) or whatever
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Old Yesterday, 16:20
jaycee331
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Another vote for burning.
That's what I do when I want to destroy anything sensitive. For small quantities I either burn them in an unused flower bed or a sacrificial foil roasting tray.

Got my technique nailed - taking a cig lighter to a fat wad of paper won't catch so just start with a few then keep topping up the pile. I find it very therapeutic.

Not 15yrs worth at a time though.

Or another, dump them into a bucket of water, let it stand for a day, give it a stir now and again and turn them into paper mache.
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Old Yesterday, 16:46
Paul_DNAP
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Or another, dump them into a bucket of water, let it stand for a day, give it a stir now and again and turn them into paper mache.
That's probably the most environmentally sound suggestion on here, soak it a few days and then fish it out and re-form it into paper blocks and stick it all in the paper recycling with no chance of identity theft as the ink would be all over the place, especially if you mash it up a bit or shed some of the more sensitive stuff before soaking.

Probably a job for summer though, that bucket of water will be icy this time of year.

(I wouldn't go the full papier mache route, as that involves adding PVA glue to make it dry hard, leave it recyclable!)

Or, if you've got a paper mill nearby that uses waste paper, give them a ring to see if you can drop it off there to go straight in their pulper. I'd offer but we don't use waste here at all.

I wonder what would happen if you put it in the washing machine, in a sealed pillowcase.

Anyway, getting it wet, squidging it about and letting it dry again will really fox anyone trying to re-read it after you put it in the recycle bin.
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Old Yesterday, 17:17
koantemplation
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I burn all my paper work that has personal details on.

I normally do it once a year around bonfire night depending on the weather.
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Old Yesterday, 18:19
benjamini
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Water with some bleach in it.
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Old Yesterday, 19:02
LostFool
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Get a shredder and then put the shreddings into a black plastic bag or if you have pets use them for the litter tray or cage (for rabbits or hamsters) or whatever
Or if you have a shredder at work take your papers there. We have an industrial sized one which could shred whole books in seconds. The cheap household ones are very puny in comparison.
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Old Yesterday, 19:43
HenryGarten
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Oh fire is the best tool in these circumstances.
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Old Yesterday, 20:05
tinman
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Burn baby burn
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Old Yesterday, 20:14
Maxatoria
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Just burn it, and be done with it. Even if it takes a small bit of fuel to kickstart the event its worth it.
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Old Yesterday, 20:21
davidmcn
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lso remember that when you retire and when you die, you need to be able to produce a birth certificate to prove how old you are and where you were born, so keep one in an obvious place.
But trivially easy to obtain copies from the registers, so not worth worrying too much about it (which is also why they're not much use for fraud).
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