The City of Moscow will host Free Shred Day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at 1638 S. Blaine St. in the Old Tidyman’s parking lot. While it is open and free to Latah County residents, it is not open for commercial use. Residents may not shred more than three paper grocery bags worth of documents per household.
Sanitation Operations Manager Tim Davis said this is the fourth year the event has been held in Moscow. He said the day was scheduled to coincide with the end of tax season.
“People are going through all their records and, you know, it’s a time that they can get rid of some of those sensitive documents,” Davis said.
Solid Waste Department Coordinator Amanda Bashaw said the event brings many people and many thousands of pounds of paper. Bashaw said around 7,000 pounds of paper was shredded in 2013.
Davis said the event’s greatest benefit is that it’s aimed at helping residents maintain protection from identity theft.
“It’s just for personal protection and identity protection,” Davis said. “And that type of thing is the biggest benefit.”
Davis said trucks from Devries Information Management — a professional shredding company located in Spokane — come down and shred the documents.
Bashaw said the shredded paper is recycled into apple cartons.
“Once the paper is shredded and then put into pallets, it goes over by the Yakima area — where all the apple farmers are,” Bashaw said. “And it’s made right back into the apple cartons. So, you know, you go buy apples at the grocery store and you see the cartons, the boxes of apples — that’s your shredded paper right there.”
Bashaw, who was behind the creation of the event, said the event provides a good service, especially since the city has no local shredding service.
“I just thought it was a good need, a good service to offer to the public — to implement that shredding program,” Bashaw said. “A lot of people ask about shredding. There’s a lot of interest in being able to shred their documents.”
Davis said he has noticed a lot of public appreciation for the event since its creation.
“You know, from what I’ve noticed over the past three years, it’s just been well-received by the public, and they’re just very gracious and (they) thank us, and it’s been used by a lot of folks over the years,” Davis said. “I think they enjoy it.”
For more information on Free Shred Day, visit the City of Moscow website at www.ci.moscow.id.us.
Andrew Jenson can be reached at [email protected]