As just about everyone knows, paper shredders
are a great way to protect one's self from the horrors of identity
theft. But there is just one problem: what do you do with all that
shredded paper? You could go the environmentally friendly route and
recycle the material.
As just about everyone knows, paper shredders
are a great way to protect one's self from the horrors of identity
theft. But there's just one problem: what do you do with all that
shredded paper? You could go the environmentally friendly route and
recycle the material. (Or you could just toss it in the garbage if
that's more convenient.) Or you can get creative and re-use the shreds
in a number of different ways, from making Christmas ornaments to
taking care of your pets. Here are a few ideas....
Make some Christmas ornaments.
If your shreds are particularly colorful, why not use them for
Christmas ornaments? You can purchase clear acrylic balls that can be
opened up. Just place the shreds in the ball and close it up. You could
also tie a beautiful ribbon to the ornament for hanging purposes.
Make homemade kitty litter. Changing
a litter box is never fun but you can have a good time creating kitty
litter from your shredded paper. The shreds will be easier on your
kitty's paws than the most of the clay-based, store-bought litter (i.e.
Jonny Cat) and it will be a lot easier on your wallet. Just be sure to
introduce your cat slowly to the new stuff since cats don't
particularly appreciate abrupt changes in certain areas of their lives.
(As any pet owner will tell you.)
Give your hamster or gerbil a new bed. If
you have a rodent for a pet, your shreds can make a nice bed for your
little critter. Just be sure the ink on the paper is non-toxic since
rodents love to chew on their bedding. The point is to make the little
ones more comfortable, not hurt them.
Use it in a gift bag.
Let's face it: most commercial wrapping paper and the like is
expensive. Even gift bag filler - which is essentially shredded paper -
can cost a small fortune. However, if you run some colorful paper
through your shredder, you'll get the filler you need at little or no
cost. You could even use the shreds in Easter baskets.
Use it as packing material.
Like gift wrap, packing materials can cost an arm and a leg. If you've
got a big move coming up and you have some fragile items that need to
be protected, start saving your shreds. You'll get your packing
material for free that way and your items will make it to your
destination intact.
Start a fire (carefully). Another
great use for shreds is to use it as kindling. You need to get rid of
the shreds anyway, so why not build a nice cozy fire while doing so?
(Just be careful!)
The things you can do with shredded
paper is limited only by your imagination. Why not use your shredder
today and see what creative uses you can find for your shreds? You'll
be protecting yourself against identity theft and getting creative at
the same time. Good luck and happy shredding!
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