OK to trash old checks?
November 16, 2010 8:41 AM Subscribe
How to dispose of old canceled checks? Can't shred 'em or burn 'em.
I have a fairly large box of 15-20 year old canceled checks. I no longer have that checking account and the address is no longer valid either. The only thing still accurate on these checks is my name. I want to dispose of these but I don't have access to a shredder and don't want to buy one. Is there any ID theft or other financial fraud-related risk in just dumping them as-is in the garbage? I can't burn them due to local ordinances prohibiting burning of trash. Thanks in advance!
I have a fairly large box of 15-20 year old canceled checks. I no longer have that checking account and the address is no longer valid either. The only thing still accurate on these checks is my name. I want to dispose of these but I don't have access to a shredder and don't want to buy one. Is there any ID theft or other financial fraud-related risk in just dumping them as-is in the garbage? I can't burn them due to local ordinances prohibiting burning of trash. Thanks in advance!
Put them in a closed tote bag (sew them up if it doesn't zip) and put them through a washing machine.
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 8:44 AM on November 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 8:44 AM on November 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
I've seen some banks around holding occasional "privacy days" where they let you bring in documents to shred using their equipment... it might be worth looking around for something like that.
posted by usonian at 8:45 AM on November 16, 2010 [4 favorites]
posted by usonian at 8:45 AM on November 16, 2010 [4 favorites]
If you have ID theft or financial fraud concerns, a cross cut shredder is a good investment--but, since you don't want a shredder, you might look into shredder scissors.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 8:47 AM on November 16, 2010
posted by Admiral Haddock at 8:47 AM on November 16, 2010
I don't see any particular identity theft risk there--identity thieves can already find out your name.
That said, one way to remove identifying marks from paper without a shredder or incinerator is to pulp it. Basically, just soak it in water until it's a repulsive, sodden mass--you can add a capful of bleach if you like, which will get the ink out more quickly. Then squeeze out the water and throw it all away.
posted by Sidhedevil at 8:50 AM on November 16, 2010 [2 favorites]
That said, one way to remove identifying marks from paper without a shredder or incinerator is to pulp it. Basically, just soak it in water until it's a repulsive, sodden mass--you can add a capful of bleach if you like, which will get the ink out more quickly. Then squeeze out the water and throw it all away.
posted by Sidhedevil at 8:50 AM on November 16, 2010 [2 favorites]
Do you have any friends who work in larger companies? The shred boxes in my company are hauled away by an Iron Mountain-like security firm. I'm sure a good friend would be willing to drop a few in their shred boxes until you're done with them.
posted by xingcat at 8:51 AM on November 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by xingcat at 8:51 AM on November 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
Do you or a loved one have a cat? Putting things like this in with the bag of kitty litter could work.
posted by pointystick at 8:52 AM on November 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by pointystick at 8:52 AM on November 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
Do you have a blender?
Pulp it. You can stop at step 2, or continue and make your own paper.
posted by bonehead at 8:52 AM on November 16, 2010
Pulp it. You can stop at step 2, or continue and make your own paper.
posted by bonehead at 8:52 AM on November 16, 2010
If you don't want to buy a shredder because you don't want to spend any money, then disregard, but what I would do is to google "document destruction $MY_CITY" and have a document destruction company take care of it for you. They have shredders mounted inside vans or trucks and will destroy your old checks in about 5 seconds, then haul them off.
posted by facetious at 8:53 AM on November 16, 2010
posted by facetious at 8:53 AM on November 16, 2010
Do you or a loved one have a cat? Putting things like this in with the bag of kitty litter could work.
I've done this. Another option is putting it in the compost bin.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 8:53 AM on November 16, 2010
I've done this. Another option is putting it in the compost bin.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 8:53 AM on November 16, 2010
Do you or a loved one have a cat? Putting things like this in with the bag of kitty litter could work.
>>I've done this.
I mean I actually use it as kitty litter after ripping it up a bit. Saves money too. It's win-win!
posted by EndsOfInvention at 8:54 AM on November 16, 2010
>>I've done this.
I mean I actually use it as kitty litter after ripping it up a bit. Saves money too. It's win-win!
posted by EndsOfInvention at 8:54 AM on November 16, 2010
A lot of credit unions have free "shred-a-thons/community shred events" where you can bring a whole mess of stuff that they'll shred right in front of you. Maybe there's one going on near you soon?
posted by Zoyashka at 8:55 AM on November 16, 2010
posted by Zoyashka at 8:55 AM on November 16, 2010
Office supply companies, like Officemax or Staples, offer shredding services. My MIL was looking for something like this when she cleaned out a lot of old paperwork. I don't remember which company she used.
posted by annsunny at 9:03 AM on November 16, 2010
posted by annsunny at 9:03 AM on November 16, 2010
Afterward, I would pour the liquid into the toilet
Please don't do this. As someone who makes paper myself, I am bitterly aware that you really don't want to throw even a small amount of paper liquid into a toilet. Greg Nog, I am envious of your home's plumbing that it can handle this.
posted by Sidhedevil at 9:06 AM on November 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
Please don't do this. As someone who makes paper myself, I am bitterly aware that you really don't want to throw even a small amount of paper liquid into a toilet. Greg Nog, I am envious of your home's plumbing that it can handle this.
posted by Sidhedevil at 9:06 AM on November 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
I have sometimes just tossed old canceled checks or duplicates in the trash or recycling. Given that the only information on them is the same information that anyone you write a check to will see, the risk seems pretty low to me. I could be wrong about this. If I'm feeling ambitious, I tear them up a little.
My community has an annual free document destruction day, and since that has started up I hold onto things to take to that. It's part of community recycle initiatives. Maybe your area has something like that?
posted by not that girl at 9:37 AM on November 16, 2010
My community has an annual free document destruction day, and since that has started up I hold onto things to take to that. It's part of community recycle initiatives. Maybe your area has something like that?
posted by not that girl at 9:37 AM on November 16, 2010
Stack the checks neatly. Tear or cut up the stacks like you're slicing bread so that you have four piles, ensuring that the account number and address are cut in two. Dispose of each pile in a different garbage so that anyone finding one pile can't get the other piles to reconstruct the cheques.
posted by fatbird at 9:42 AM on November 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by fatbird at 9:42 AM on November 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
Being that old, and having that little relevant info on them, I would feel fine just dumping them in with my household trash.
posted by ldthomps at 11:17 AM on November 16, 2010
posted by ldthomps at 11:17 AM on November 16, 2010
I'd also suggest checking with the bank you have now and seeing if they'll shred for you. When I joined my recent bank, they actually gave me a $25 bonus for bringing in my old checks and debit cards to shred.
posted by saffry at 4:52 PM on November 16, 2010
posted by saffry at 4:52 PM on November 16, 2010
As someone else mentioned, Office Depot and OfficeMax are possible options - and so is The UPS Store.
posted by jeri at 10:19 PM on November 16, 2010
posted by jeri at 10:19 PM on November 16, 2010
I would probably just toss them. (But I live where we don't throw our trash on the street for everyone to root around through. YMMV)
(Regarding the tear them up and throw them into different garbages routine- all you have to do is tear the account number portion of the check off of the routing number portion of the check. Either number is meaningless without the other. This is probably what I would do in this scenario if I was not inclined to search out a public document destruction place.)
Another idea- look for a paper recycler- there is one by my house that actually pays for used paper. Since they are basically throwing it right into the digesting tank, no security worries.
The only thing I would worry about- and this is a HUGE longshot- is that someone finds the checks and fakes one up and cashes it. It gets presented to your old bank and they just slap the NSF onto your credit report/history. Very unlikely all around.
posted by gjc at 7:44 AM on November 17, 2010
(Regarding the tear them up and throw them into different garbages routine- all you have to do is tear the account number portion of the check off of the routing number portion of the check. Either number is meaningless without the other. This is probably what I would do in this scenario if I was not inclined to search out a public document destruction place.)
Another idea- look for a paper recycler- there is one by my house that actually pays for used paper. Since they are basically throwing it right into the digesting tank, no security worries.
The only thing I would worry about- and this is a HUGE longshot- is that someone finds the checks and fakes one up and cashes it. It gets presented to your old bank and they just slap the NSF onto your credit report/history. Very unlikely all around.
posted by gjc at 7:44 AM on November 17, 2010
A lot of stand-alone bank branches use a paper shredding service rather than shredding stuff on site. If your current bank does this, you could probably drop the at your local branch. They go into a secure bin that gets picked up weekly and shredded by a big machine and turned into recycled paper.
When I worked in a retail bank, if you were my customer and asked me, that is what I'd tell you to do.
posted by VTX at 12:52 PM on November 17, 2010
When I worked in a retail bank, if you were my customer and asked me, that is what I'd tell you to do.
posted by VTX at 12:52 PM on November 17, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
Pair of scissors or just rip them up manually.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 8:43 AM on November 16, 2010