Ideas on how to destroy old film?

[JanW]

Can anyone suggest a way to destroy old Standard and Super 8 film?
I've had a call for help from someone who needs to destroy several thousand feet. Shredders made little impression.
thanks
Jan

[Mike Shaw]

Sounds desperate to destroy old film!

How about a match, garden bonfire?

[JanW]

I haven't tried, but apparently, being safety film, it doesn't burn well.

Jan

[Ken Wilson]

I worked in a 16mm and 35mm film lab for 35 years. When reels of film, often old rushes, had to be disposed of, we just had to drop it into a skip. It was unwound from bobbins or reels and the metal can re-used, but I don`t know of any way film can be destroyed in a quick, mass disposal kind of way. Why would anyone want to anyway? National secrets or "naughty" movies?

[Mike Shaw]

All my 8mm movies were kept in metal cans, in the basement of the house we had at the time.

Then we had a flood.

Just drop the film in water for a few hours. Sadly, that worked for me.

It does sound as though it is important every individual frame is 'disfigured' - I'm sure incineration (melting) would also do the trick.

[Arthur Bates]

Hi Jan, Old cine film probably has a silver salt and gelatine based emolsion and acetete compound base. It burns slowly and produces a black sticky substance in my experience. This may solidify when cold and I would have thought made disposal easier. Above all, do it outside in a incinerator with a breeze as the fumes are probably highly toxic. I would not think it would cause any airport closures! AB