Saturday, October 5, 2024
Prepare to clear out those stacks of tax returns, old bills, and bank statements, as the city’s free community paper shredding event will be back in just two weeks.
Set for 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, at American Town Hall located at 220 N. Travis St., Shred It Instead will allow residents to dispose of three “banker boxes” of paper.
“The whole name of it is Shred It Instead, because people were asking, ‘Instead of what?’ Communications Manager Jeff Newpher said. “Well, instead of throwing it in your regular trash and instead of putting out big boxes of tax records and old bank statements on your trash pickup day, come have it shredded.”
While the event was previously held at the Lake Granbury Conference Center, this event will take place near the Hood County Library on Travis St. until noon — or until the shredding truck is filled.
Newpher noted that during the last event in April, the truck was completely filled in just about two and a half hours. He advised residents to come to the shredding event right after finishing the community-wide Great Granbury Cleanup, which is scheduled to wrap up around 10:30 a.m.
"We're trying to emphasize that it's paper only,” he explained. “The only issue we had was when someone had some boxes of paper that had staples in it and that jammed up the machine for about 10 minutes.”
He pointed out that one small oversight led to a queue of approximately 40 cars, emphasizing that no binder clips, staples, or paper clips should be left in the boxes of paper.
With the format similar to previous events, the entire process is expected to be efficient and hassle-free, allowing residents to quickly dispose of their documents while minimizing wait times.
"What we're trying to do is make it so people put three boxes of paper in their trunk. They pull around, stop, pop the trunk, and then we'll have volunteers that'll grab the totes and go over to the shredding machine,” Newpher explained. “If all goes well, they don't even have to get out of their car.”
However, if individuals do want to watch the process of their papers getting shredded, Newpher said they are more than welcome to park their vehicle, carry their boxes to the shredding truck, and wait until the batch containing their paper is shredded.
“If you want to do that, we're not going to deny you the joy of seeing your stuff go in the shredder truck,” he said. “We are accommodating everyone for that.”
While some concerns have been raised about the security of personal information, Newpher reassured residents that the company handling the shredding is the same one that managed the April event.
"This is also the same company that's been doing the shredding for the city of Granbury for years, and we've never had an issue,” he said. “So, yes, I would say it's as secure as the city of Granbury’s shredded materials are.”
During the event earlier this year, about 423 cars came through the shredding line, and approximately $2,200 was donated to the Granbury Volunteer Fire Department for the purchase of firefighter protective gear.
For questions or to learn more information about Shred It Instead, call 682-279-8256. Please leave a message if necessary.
