What is the best way to destroy Polaroid Pictures and Video Tapes?

Question

I was wondering if they contain any unusual chemicals that might be overly flammable or toxic.

Answer 1

My policy is to hand the photographs and tapes over on payment. That gives the client the problem of disposal.

Answer 2

Send them to Razzle. You may get lucky and find a cheque in the post.

Answer 3

Yea, plastic in video tapes is not good for burning... If you do do it make sure it's not around anyone (including yourself!) otherwise can't you just pull the tapes to pieces.

We once pulled the tape out of a video tape and wrapped the house up in it, good luck to anyone wanting to watch that tape again.

Answer 4

best way for destroying polaroids would be to shred them, and for video tapes why not recycle them maybe sell them on ebay, depending what is on them and how many years old they are, people like collecting with old programmes on,that way you get rid of your old tapes and make a bit of money too

Answer 5

Put the items in a fireproof container (like a metal bucket). Take the container outside. Put barbecue fuel in the container with the polaroid pictures. Smash the casing of the video tapes with a hammer, rock or something similar as you only need to burn the magnetic tape itself rather than the cassette casing (which would make toxic smoke).

Stand back and burn them. Make sure you are OUTSIDE and away from walls, overhanging branches etc as fire is dangerous at all times unless treated with caution.    

Answer 6

If the content is not too personal or private then give the tapes to a charity shop - they can sell them on.  The polaroids may be worth passing on to as a job lot if they have any interesting content.

Usually though the content IS the thing we want to destroy like photos of an ex, or family.  So fire is your best solution.  With the Videos you only need to dismantle the casings and burn the tape.

Don't do this indoors.  Fumes might escape to somewhere else in the house and they could kill.

The fumes will be highly toxic and sooty.  Be vary careful if the flames go out at any point as the hot gases can reignite and flare up, just by poking the embers around.  Also the remains of the fire will still be toxic.

Answer 7

i think they do, be careful

Answer 8

BURN IT WITH FIRE

Answer 9

For polaroid photos. Shred them, cut them up with scissors. The amount of processing chemicals in them is minimal.

Video tapes? Either use a big magnet to erase them or rerecord over them. No need to waste the video tape.

No matter what, those photos and video tape are made of plastic, burning plastic releases toxic fumes that are hazardous to health.

Or you can take them to a bounded document destruction company. They are equipped to process and destroy recording materials like that.

Answer 10

Perhaps don't burn them, they're likely toxic.

Shred them. You can shred the tape in the video cassette.