by Penny Nama

Created on: January 19, 2009   Last Updated: June 12, 2009

Open up your mail box and what are you likely to find...credit card offers, bills, and other documents that all have your personal information on them. We all know this personal information in the wrong hands can lead to fraud, identity theft, and years of work trying to repair your credit and reputation. There are any number of ways to destroy documents to protect yourself and your family from identity theft, a lot will depend on where you live, what resources you have, and what will work best for you.

Shredders are a great way to destroy paper documents quickly and easily. There are a number of styles on the market that are fairly inexpensive and work well for occasional light duty projects. Cheaper models can usually only handle a few pieces of paper at a time and generally cut the paper into straight strips. This will work great for most people who only use it to shred an occasional credit card offer or other document. Straight strip shredders are the easiest to reconstruct the document from and don't offer the most security. One option to add a level to security to your document destruction without purchasing a more expensive shredder is to use the shredded paper as pet bedding. Pets like rabbits, mice, and hamsters love to play and sleep in the paper shreds. They will also further break down the documents, will add an "ick" factor to anyone who might be looking for documents in your trash, and it is a form of recycling.

There are also more expensive shredders that will make a given document nearly impossible to reconstruct. These shredders are often able to handle multiple sheets of paper at a time, and some can even shred old CD-ROMs or credit cards. These are a great choice for families or small businesses who have more documents to destroy regularly or who are more concerned about the security of their personal information. The shreds are also very easy to recycle.

Another option for people who may have documents to destroy, but want to get rid of them all at once is a bon fire. Local laws and regulations will determine if this is an option for you, but it is one you may want to consider. Be sure to keep your fire under control at all times and use material other than paper, like wood. When the fire has consumed all of your documents, carefully put out your fire. Spreading the ashes around to help cool them off will also help to further destroy any documents that may have remained partially intact. Once the ashes have cooled completely, dispose of them properly.

Finally, an option you should be considered if you have a large volume of documents to destroy is a commercial shredding service. These businesses will pick up and shred your documents. They have high power, industrial strength shredders that will quickly destroy your documents. Check to be sure that any shredding company you choose is insured and ask for referrals from some of their other clients to confirm they are a quality business who takes the privacy of your documents as seriously as you do.

Paper documents are not difficult to destroy in a manner that protects your or your business's privacy, but it is an important step you should consider taking

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