Burlington County Commissioner Allison Eckel (center) assists with collection of paper during a previous county paper shredding event.
Spring is here and residents undertaking some spring cleaning will want to take advantage of two free paper shredding events at the Burlington County Resource Recovery Complex.
The first event will be this Sunday, March 24, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the complex in Florence. The second event will be held at the same location and time on Sunday, May 5.
Both events are free and will allow residents to safely shred and recycle confidential documents such as bank and credit card statements, tax returns and other papers with sensitive information, such as account and Social Security information in an environmentally friendly way.
Shredding is reserved for Burlington County residents only (out-of-county residents, businesses and nonprofits will be turned away) and only confidential paper materials will be accepted at the event. Magazines, junk mail and household trash will not be accepted, nor will binders, plastic folders, computer discs or credit cards.
Identification is required and a limit of four bags or boxes will be accepted. Bags and boxes must be limited to 10 pounds each and should be placed in the trunk or cargo areas so staff can easily remove them. Already shredded paper is also accepted.
Additionally, the county will collect clean and dry plastic bubble wrap, plastic shipping mailers and plastic wrap from cases of water or the plastic wrap around paper products during the shredding events. These materials must be bagged separately from papers and be dry and free of food residue.
All collected plastics will be recycled through a county partnership with Trex, a Virginia-based company that manufactures composite decking and railing from these materials.
Residents with questions about the shredding or plastics recycling collections can email recycle@co.burlington.nj.us.
Residents are also encouraged to download Burlington County’s free Recycle Coach app from the Apple App Store or GooglePlay store for the latest information about what materials should be recycled and updates and alerts about collection schedules in each town. Residents without smartphones can also get the information online at burlcorecycles.com.
