What you do to get rid of old I.D.'s and Credit Cards?

[DI]

I have some duplicate inactive credit cards and various old I.D's and driver's license that's not fit to be shredded.  I'm not able to burn them because I live in an apartment.  I want to get rid of them.  Just trashing them may set me up for identity theft.  Recommendations are welcome.  Advance thanks.

[MidnightVoice]

Shredder?  I have one at home, but the library or photocopy shop might have one

[MattH]

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@MidnightVoice wrote:
Shredder?  I have one at home, but the library or photocopy shop might have one

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My wife is a medical writer who frequently has to shred confidential documents so we have a shredder, and we also feed stuff like bills and old credit cards to it.  Before we had a shredder my usual method for disposing of an old credit card was cut it into six pieces with scissors, then distribute those pieces: two into my home trash, two into the trash at a filling station, and two into the trash at a retail store.

But OP should also ask around at work because there may be a shredder there.  I'm in pharmaceutical research and development and therefore regularly deal with proprietary documents so we have many shredders, but nowadays almost any workplace will have at least one shredder because at the very least they will have stuff like financial and employee records that shouldn't get into the wrong hands.

[MarineVietVet]

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@MattH wrote:

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@MidnightVoice wrote:
Shredder?  I have one at home, but the library or photocopy shop might have one

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My wife is a medical writer who frequently has to shred confidential documents so we have a shredder, and we also feed stuff like bills and old credit cards to it.  Before we had a shredder my usual method for disposing of an old credit card was cut it into six pieces with scissors, then distribute those pieces: two into my home trash, two into the trash at a filling station, and two into the trash at a retail store.

But OP should also ask around at work because there may be a shredder there.  I'm in pharmaceutical research and development and therefore regularly deal with proprietary documents so we have many shredders, but nowadays almost any workplace will have at least one shredder because at the very least they will have stuff like financial and employee records that shouldn't get into the wrong hands.

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I've done that. That way the information can never be combined again. Actually I still do that. My shredder is fine for paper but growls at me when I put a CC in it. 

[DI]

I have a shredder, but it doesn't grind the cards and i.d.'s into unreadable pieces. 

[Junejer]

How about one of those big old paper cutters? You know the ones with the big blade? Cut it up the long way, then cut those strips into little pieces.

[DI]

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@Junejer wrote:
How about one of those big old paper cutters? You know the ones with the big blade? Cut it up the long way, then cut those strips into little pieces.

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Excellent idea and we have one at work.  I'll do that Monday.  I would have never thought about that.  I use the paper cutter all the time. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

You could call the local MVA and ask 'em whether they will securely shred 'em. I would hope they are motivated to prevent IDs landing in the hands of someone for nefarious purposes, so it would seem they'd at least take an interest.

Yeah, yeah. I know. I've wander so far out there, I'm afraid to look down because I just know there's no longer a cliff beneath me.

[marty56]

Watch the Friday night Dave Ramsey show.  That features the plasectomy which usually is mostly fatal to a CC.

[Uborrow-Upay]

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@DI wrote:
I have some duplicate inactive credit cards and various old I.D's and driver's license that's not fit to be shredded.  I'm not able to burn them because I live in an apartment.  I want to get rid of them.  Just trashing them may set me up for identity theft.  Recommendations are welcome.  Advance thanks.

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Before I got a shredder at home that could handle those things, I'd bring 'em down to my insurance agent's office and use his shredder. That thing could eat whatever got put into it.

I finally did get a decent shredder for my in-home office; it shreds ID's, credit cards, CDs and DVDs, etc.  It also partially-mangles an occasional letter-opener.   Wasn't sure at the time if it was worth the money or not (I believe I paid close to $180), but it sure chops things up in a heartbeat, whether you want it to or not!