Burlington County will hold two more paper shredding events this fall, giving residents a chance to dispose of confidential documents and certain plastics. The events are scheduled for Sunday, September 21, and Sunday, November 2, from 9 AM to 1 PM at the Burlington County Institute of Technology’s Westampton Campus at 695 Woodlane Road in Westampton. The county has stated that the events will take place rain or shine.
Residents can bring items such as bank statements, credit card statements, tax returns, and other documents containing sensitive personal information like account numbers or Social Security details. At previous spring shredding events this year, over 71,880 pounds of paper were shredded and recycled. This puts the county on track to exceed the 117,000 pounds recycled during last year’s shredding activities.
“Burlington County is excited to offer additional opportunities for our residents to dispose of financial papers and sensitive documents in a safe and environmentally-friendly manner,” said Burlington County Commissioner Tom Pullion, who serves as liaison to the Department of Solid Waste and Recycling. “This is a great County service that promotes recycling and sustainability.”
The service is only available to Burlington County residents; businesses, nonprofits, and out-of-county residents will not be permitted. Only confidential papers will be accepted—magazines, junk mail, household trash, binders, plastic folders, computer discs or plastic credit cards are not allowed. Identification is required at drop-off. Each resident may bring up to four bags or boxes (each weighing no more than ten pounds), which should be placed in vehicle trunks or cargo areas for staff collection. Already shredded paper will also be accepted.
Alongside document shredding, the county will collect clean and dry plastic bubble wrap, shipping mailers and wraps from cases of water or paper products. These plastics must be bagged separately from paper materials and free from food residue.
Additionally, PakTech drink carriers used for aluminum cans will be collected as part of a county initiative because they cannot be sorted by machinery at the recycling center if placed in curbside bins; these should also be bagged separately.
“Each pound of paper and plastic that is recycled correctly saves landfill space and the tax dollars towns spend on disposal fees,” said Burlington County Commissioner Randy Brolo. “Last year county residents recycled close to 82 million pounds of recyclables, saving county towns more than $4 million in landfill fees. Those kinds of savings are wins for the environment and our taxpayers’ wallets, so we encourage residents to continue to take advantage of the upcoming shredding events.”
