Nothing seems to be coming up on the search for this which is useful so was wondering if anyone could answer a question for me.
What are you supposed to do with old receipts and confidential paperwork when you don't need it anymore?
In the UK i would just normally burnt it in the back garden but I don't exactly have that option now.
I just tried burning it on my BBQ on the balcony and a happy chappy neighbour started shouting at me for burning stuff (it is only paper - nothing else)
I can understand where he is coming from because of the smoke but how hard is it to close a window for 5 minutes?
Im not going to be putting the paperwork for recycling because (as much as im all up for saving the planet - i try to recycle everything) its things like bank details, and I refuse to go out and spend 50chf on a shredder when the majority of the time, they don't destroy the paperwork enough anyway.
Little bit pissed off about this at the moment. I can't seem to do anything here without being told off and its not exactly as if i'm a rebel...its all normal day to day stuff!
Someone help! i'm starting to dislike this place more and more
Well if you don't want to buy a shredder, take it to work, they must have a shredder somewhere. Once shredded you can wrap it up in newspaper put it in with the old paper collection.
Alternatively, cut your name and address off all the paperwork. Drop the name and address in your rubbish, and recycle the rest.
If you're that paranoic about it, maybe you should keep it, although it can't be that important iof it's not worth spending Chf 50 on a shredder.
I can't imagine anybody is going to bother re-creating documents from your shredder.
Whilst you may not like this place, the rules about buring stuff, especially on a Sunday are clear, if you don't like them, maybe move on or move across the border ?
I tear my confidential papers into little pieces by hand. It's not so difficult to do actually. Well mixed, it then goes into the waste; if I have doubts then I put some of the pieces aside for a second bag.
There, it's no problem is it. Most papers can also be composted.
It would be a fine thing if we all started to burn our rubbish on the balcony whether paper or not. Were I your neighbour I'd complain too.
I bring my waste paper directly to the local central waste collection centre and through it in the container there. That is not as good as shredding but the likelihood of someone snooping through my waste paper is much smaller.
Shredding has disadvantages BTW: Capable shredders are not only expensive but you also cannot use the free waste paper disposal.
Burning waste paper (or other trash) is out of question if you have not the suitable equipment with adequate filters. Private trash burning is actually a major contributor to air and ground pollution in Switzerland.
Soak it in the bath tub (or if you can afford it, buy a big bowl) overnight - with a without the addition of some javel wasser or swim pool chlor - and most or all of the ink should leach out.
Squeeze hand fulls of the soggy paper into balls and allow to dry.
Dispose of as waste paper or rubbish.
It should be near impossible to gleam any details from the dried balls of soggy paper.
Or if you have any empty moving boxes left over use those for all paper recycling. Simply put all kinds of paper, shredded or not, into a box, seal with Selotape and take to your local recycling place.
Amazingly that’s one of the things I’m missing most from our recent house move. We did it ourselves and, unfortunately, left boxes from our previous move behind in the loft. So now no boxes to put the papers in. We’ve got one of those little stands for newspapers and magazines, which is okay, but can’t be used for receipts/small pieces of paper so that sort of stuff ends up in the waste bin.
That depends on where you live. We can put shredded paper in clear plastic bags, and it is taken away. You can buy the bags from the gemeinde, or use your own (must be clear).
You're not allowed to have bonfires in France within at least 100 metres of buildings, not at all in certain areas, and certainly not on Sundays. I'd imagine it's the same in Germany. So how would moving across the border help?
umm a shreader or rip it up and put in the bin... its not hard to work out that burning paper on the balcony of an apartment block will upset people - it would piss me off and im quite relaxed.
as for your concerns of shredding maybe you have had cheap shreeders in the past... if so get a cross cut shreader.
I realize everything is expensive here but a small desktop shredder is worth your peace of mind, no? If you're extra paranoid, throw the shredded bits in the rubbish bin with the old food and coffee grounds.
OMG I thought I was paranoid, but it seems that some people are even worse. I must say that some of the suggestions here are quite creative!
Personally, I just remove the address and/or rip the paper by hand, and if it is really a Top Secret Document, I mix the pieces and divide them between the bin and recycling container.
We always bring paper to the Sammelstelle ourselves, so it gets mixed up immediately and we do not have leave it on the street.
I do hate a lot of rules here, BUT this one makes sense: why produce unnecessary smoke/ co2? Either recycle it or put it in the garbage. That gets burned too, but at least the smoke is filtered and teh heat used and not wasted. THE ENVIRONMENT THANKS YOU