With identity theft a growing concern, many of us are looking for ways to securely dispose of old documents. The vendors below will destroy all your protected information and recycle the paper while they're at it.

What if I already shredded the paper?

The best way to make sure shredded paper gets recycled is to put it in a clear plastic bag and put that into your blue bin. The workers who sort recyclables will then be able to identify that it's paper for recycling.

What about other items?

You can also contact the companies below to determine whether they shred other items, such as CDs or DVDs. Also check out ways to recycle CDs, DVDs and similar materials here.

Where to go

• Santa Barbara Area (4)

  • Complete Document Destruction & Recycling — P.O. Box 4899
  • Global Document Imaging — 121 South Quarantina Street, 1st Floor
  • Lawcopy — 411 E. Canon Perdido Street, Suite 15
  • Shred Nations — UPS Store, 27 W. Anapamu Street

• Lompoc Valley & VAFB (1)

  • Box Shop — 740 North "H" Street

• Outside Santa Barbara County (3)

  • Earth911.com – Information Only — 3481 Plano Parkway
  • Shred-It — 8600 Tamarack Avenue
  • Total Shredding, LLC — 11636 Goldring Road, Suite B