Burning those CD's (in the microwave).

In a discussion on how to best destroy CD-R's (containing personal or company confidential data) it was mentioned that microwaving might be a good way (unless you have one of the new strong shredders which can take both paper and cds).

I put an old CD in the microwave and here is the end result. Looks totally unreadable. Reading Paul Haas' initial report (linked from the CDR FAQ) is advisable before you try this. Paul recommends putting it on top of a paper cup; I placed the CD inside a transparent plastic bag before microwaving and that seemed to work fine as well. 5-10 seconds on high is enough. Normal disclaimers apply and a larger image (607 KB) which more clearly shows the damage is available.