Getting data and photos onto CD-R media is easy enough but what happens when the information on the disk is out of data, or of no use anymore? Throwing it in the bin is NOT a safe thing to do. Someone could pick it out of the bin and have easy access to your valuable data, including personal photos and private documents. Destroying CD-R media is easy and fun, and there are several ways to do it, but you should always think about your safety and the environment.
DO NOT try to destroy a disc by bending it between your fingers in an attempt to break it. Some will bend, but not break. Some will break in two. Some, however will shatter into flying shards of polycarbonate - ouch! This is dangerous, not only to yourself, but to any spouses, children, or pets which happen to be in the immediate vicinity. If it does shatter you could be left with sharp, tiny pieces on the floor which you, or young children could stand on and cut themselves easily.
One of the simplest ways of destroying CD-R media is by cutting the disc into two or several pieces this is by far a quick and easy solution, but if you are really paranoid then you could shred it. There are shredders on the market that can shred a CD-R without any effort at all, you can find a list of these below.
If you are not really concerned with security, but just want to quickly make a disc unreadable by the average person, you can destroy it by taking something simple like a car key or other sharp object and scratch all of the disk thoroughly on both sides. We also suggest getting a piece of course sand paper and giving it a good rub all over both sides of the disk afterwards.
If you look online there are many "so-called" ways to destroy CD-R media but the ones listed above are the only real way to protect yourself and erase all data safely. In no circumstances should you try putting them in a microwave oven for a few seconds, it isn't good for the microwave, and we bet it wouldn't be good for food cooked in it afterwards either.
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