Getting rid of an old or unneeded paper shredder is easy. If the paper shredder is still working, consider donating it to a charitable organization or school. List your shredder with a Freecycle listing and give it away for free. If the paper shredder has ceased to function, the appliance can be thrown away with your household garbage. You may elect to recycle as much of the components as you can remove and then put the remnants into your household trash.

Getting Rid of a Working Paper Shredder

Donate your functioning paper shredder to a charity. Many charities have resale shops whose revenue benefits the needy and whose goods are purchased at a low cost by anyone who shops at their facilities. Charities such as Goodwill and the Salvation Army have drop boxes located throughout cities where you can leave the shredder. Locate the nearest box by visiting the appropriate charity's website.

Consider donating your working paper shredder to a school, either private or public. This is as simple as driving to the closest school, taking it into the office and telling them that the shredder works and you’d like to donate it to the school. Your donation will be appreciated.

Offer the paper shredder to a freecycle.org group by signing up with a listing and offering the shredder to the first caller or person who picks up the shredder. These organizations have regulations about setting up pickups between strangers, so be sure to follow the rules. According to Freecycle.org, the organization is "a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. It's all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills.”

Getting Rid of a Nonworking Paper Shredder

Put your broken paper shredder in a trash bag. Or remove the plastic and metal components and place those in your recycling bin or locate a recycling center that will accept them, and throw the rest of the appliance in the trash.

Place the trash bag containing the nonfunctioning paper shredder into the trash can.

Put your trash can out on your regularly scheduled trash-pickup day.

Things You Will Need

  • Computer with Internet access

  • Telephone

  • Trash bag

  • Trash can