# Disposing of old CD's **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 21, 2007, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disposing-of-old-cds/430837 "2007-12-21T16:48:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disposing-of-old-cds/430837/1 "2007-12-21T16:48:01Z")
Rather than hijack[this thread,](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=448419)I thought this might merit it’s own. From that thread: [QUOTE=Leaper] I have to somehow dispose of the old ones _\_ in a way that makes sure my data can’t be retrieved by someone else - I’m still not sure how to do that. [/QUOTE] Microwave oven, 5 seconds. A little smelly, but fun to watch. They also make fun targets for plinking if you are into guns. I’ve also seen them suspended over gardens and freshly planted lawns to scare away birds…not sure if that works or not. (and it is not really a secure disposal solution as **Leaper** was seeking) What else are they good for? ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disposing-of-old-cds/430837/2 "2007-12-21T16:58:43Z")
Wouldn’t a little sandpaper make it unreadable? Or would it just make it harder to recover? ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disposing-of-old-cds/430837/3 "2007-12-21T17:17:07Z")
Doesn’t pose a secure solution, but for less-sensitive data (old music CDs or AOL freebies etc.), we turn 'em into pretty Christmas wreaths with a hot glue gun 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disposing-of-old-cds/430837/4 "2007-12-21T17:41:11Z")
Some [shredders](http://www.buy.com/prod/aleratec-240130-dvd-cd-shredder-plus-xc/q/loc/101/201992221.html) will destroy CDs. I’d imagine that just breaking them by hand would also do the trick, but I’d want to verify that before relying on that method for really sensitive data. If you’re looking for off-label uses for old CDs… Maybe coasters or hotpads? Or, flinging them like a discus could make for a potent weapon. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disposing-of-old-cds/430837/5 "2007-12-21T18:04:56Z")
I made the border frame to a mirror out of them once… ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disposing-of-old-cds/430837/6 "2007-12-21T19:48:32Z")
Some of the suggestions [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=444835) might be of interest. ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disposing-of-old-cds/430837/7 "2007-12-22T03:53:29Z")
Use it as a Frisbee. While going 75 down the interstate. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Abby\_Emma\_Sasha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e68b1a/32.png) [@Abby\_Emma\_Sasha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abby_Emma_Sasha)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disposing-of-old-cds/430837/8 "2007-12-22T10:50:17Z")
I send all the annoying “Get 1000 Free Hours Of AOL” discs and their ilk to my mother to give to her best friend’s grandson. Why? He wallpapers his bedroom with the shiny sides. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disposing-of-old-cds/430837/9 "2007-12-22T15:37:45Z")
Arts and crafts! [Instructables.com](http://Instructables.com) has some ideas for a CD fish, dodecahedron and snowflake ornaments made out of CD’s and many more. Although they may not result in complete data loss but is someone really likely to take apart your CD fish to read your secrets? ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2007, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disposing-of-old-cds/430837/10 "2007-12-23T05:15:13Z")
[QUOTE=Yllaria] Wouldn’t a little sandpaper make it unreadable? Or would it just make it harder to recover? [/QUOTE] The information is underneath the label side, so you’d have to sandpaper that side. If you do the other side, someone can just polish it down until it’s transparent again and get the data. ---
**Author:** ![Labtrash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/labtrash/32/528_2.png) [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2007, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disposing-of-old-cds/430837/11 "2007-12-23T18:02:16Z")
Some suggestions [here](http://www.makingfriends.com/readers_cds.htm) . ---
**Author:** ![T.Slothrop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@T.Slothrop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/T.Slothrop)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2007, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disposing-of-old-cds/430837/12 "2007-12-25T03:17:43Z")
Sometimes kids have to make rubber band or mouse trap powered cars. The CDs make great back wheels. You just have to glue a rubber band to the rim for friction.