How do you dispose of 5.25" floppy disks? Recyclers won't take them?

Question

How do you dispose of ancient 5.25" floppy disks? Recyclers won't take them. I prefer not to dump them into land fills. My paper shredder won't each them up. Some have software or proprietary information on them from decades ago, and I don't have a bulk eraser or a drive that will format them. Should I separate the floppy casing from the actual disk and try to shred the disk?

Answer 1

As you suggest, separate the floppy casing from the actual disk. Then shred the actual disk. They will easily shred, as they are paper thin when you remove the casing.

Or cut them into using large scissors

Answer 2

if you want to destroy the data then take a nice little magnet and roll it over the disks a few times in clockwise and anticlockwise direction.
You can remove the casing and then roll the magnets
over for better results. You can then shred them if you like
with scissors or how you normally dispose off the smaller floppy drives..
Recycle them if you can ....

Answer 3

take the silver part off and throw them away. or take a hammer to them. i haven't heard of any programs that would format. is it possible to transfer the information to another storage device? i use to work in a school computer center and what we would do was format each individual disk and then give them to students who needed a floppy but didn't have one. hope this helps!

Answer 4

I would pop out the part that contains the info and, if nothing else, attack them w/ a pair of scissors. And, believe it or not, I actually saw craft ideas for these disks somewhere, just cannot remember for the life of me where!

Answer 5

If you are talking about floppy disk themself, cut them up with siccors and throw the pieces away in the trash. They can't be put back together.

Answer 6

If you have a box or two full you can use Express Destruction to shred them.

Answer 7

If your worried about the information, slide the metal part back and cut it with a pair if scissors.