The great clear-out of junk has commenced, with my filing cabinet being trimmed of fat. Accordingly, I decided to borrow my mum’s shredder to make sure that no bits of paper I’m chucking out will fall into the wrong hands. I’ve tried to avoid getting paranoid about such things in the past, but with the recent cases of identity fraud, it probably pays to be wary.
Tax records have to be kept for 7 years. Just about everything else that’s older than about a year, I’m chucking, with anything sensitive thrown in the shredder first. The amount of paperwork sent by the bank in particular is staggering, but it’s been interesting to re-read my bank records from years gone by. Around 1990 I seemed to make an awful lot of stops past JB Hifi for CDs and video tapes (both things now also subject to the clear-out).
So, I now have a cardboard box full of shredded paper, a bunch of other papers in the recycling bin, and a much neater filing cabinet. The great cull of ’05 continues.
6 replies on “Shredding”
Don’t throw the shredded paper out. The pet shop in Chadstone can recycle it under their animals and then they get to throw it out.
That’s called “reusing”, Suzie. It isn’t recycling because it leaves the cycle.
High grade office quality paper is better off being recycled as paper. By contrast, newspaper is low grade fibre, and is ideal for shredding as pet litter.
Nitpicking about paper recycling aside (Honestly! *rolls eyes*), do you really keep your tax stuff for seven years? *LOL* I’m in trouble… I haven’t kept anything for the past six.
Some of the stuff you have mentioned previously maybe able to make you some good money too! Check out this recent auction on eBay:
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4754045481
Sheesh!
(not sure if this specifically is on the clear-out list though)
It may be too late, but can I suggest you keep one utility bill from each year so that later you can compare and moan about privatisation and increasing prices (the Telstra bill may be the one to keep at the moment).
Whoa!!! No, I’m not planning to sell my copy of DAAS Icon. Hey, it can only increase in value, right? :-)
Interesting idea Andrew, but yes, too late. Anyway, that can be left to the consumer advocates and analysts.