25 Mar 2025 10 Things You Should Never Throw in the Trash
For your safety and security, avoid throwing these items in the garbage.
See the full article on Real Simple
Spring cleaning season is finally here. This may mean you’ve already started going through the whole house with giant trash bags, getting rid of everything from that random receipt for a pack of gum to clothing you’ll never wear again. But we ask that you stop your throwing-out spree—at least temporarily—and read ahead.
From important documents to hidden hazards you didn’t know were lurking, certain things should do not belong in your garbage can or the landfill. Here are ten things you should never throw in the trash.
1. Original Legal Documents
While most bills are available online and it’s perfectly safe to discard them (just shred them first), certain legal documents should never go in the trash, according to habitability attorney Brooke Soliz Bremmer of Sweet James Accident Attorneys.
This includes the deed to your house. “It proves ownership of your property, and you will need it for future sales or disputes,” she says.
She also suggests keeping property titles, wills and trusts, power of attorney documents, marriage and divorce decrees, and birth and death certificates. “These documents may be required as legal proof, and getting rid of them could result in fraud or disputes,” explains Bremmer.
2. Financial Documents
Bremmer emphasizes the importance of keeping certain financial documents to prove identity—and warns that if they fall into the wrong hands, they could be used fraudulently.
These include social security cards, account statements, mortgage documents, and loan records.
If you have limited storage space, you can access most financial statements online. If you choose to discard old documents (like your mortgage statement from three years ago), shred them first to prevent identity theft.
3. Checks
While you probably aren’t writing checks too often these days, it’s still good to keep that old check book just in case of an emergency.
And while it might be tempting to toss old checks you deposited through your phone’s app or a checkbook for a closed account, according to Bremmer, this can be a serious mistake. “Used or unused checks can be used for fraud if they fall into the wrong hands,” Bremmer says. So, don’t put yourself at risk for identity theft.