Composting = another way to recycle shredded paper

We've covered taking your personal papers to a Community Shred event and how to prepare documents you shred at home for curbside recycling collection. Now, let's take that even closer to home: your backyard!

What is paper but another carbon source for the bacteria and other decomposer-critters in your compost pile? Let paper shreds be another part of their well-rounded diet!

Once the shreds decompose, your personal information -- be it your Social Security number, your bank or brokerage account numbers, your name, address, and phone number and more -- will all be indistinguishable from the rich, dark compost.

The shreds are a nice balance to the "greens" (nitrogen-rich material) you put into your compost pile, like the winter weeds you may be pulling on these warm Spring days. And, there's a certain satisfaction in knowing that bills, financial statements, and the like will find additional use in nurturing the soil in your garden.