County employees and volunteers at a past shredding event at the Burlington County Resource Recovery Complex.
Burlington County residents will have three more opportunities to safely dispose of confidential documents and plastic film this year during the county’s upcoming fall shredding events. Plastic drink carriers, also known as handles, will also be collected.
The first event will be held on Sunday, Sept. 8, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the county Resource Recovery Complex in Florence. Two more events will be held at the same location and time on Sunday, Oct. 13, and Sunday, Nov. 10.
During all three events, residents can recycle confidential documents such as bank and credit card statements, tax returns and other papers with sensitive information, including account and Social Security details.
Shredding is reserved for county residents only (out-of-county residents, businesses and nonprofits will be turned away) and only confidential papers will be accepted. Magazines, junk mail and household trash will not be accepted, nor will binders, plastic folders, computer discs or plastic credit cards.
Identification is required. There is a limit of four bags or boxes of paper weighing no more than 10 pounds each. Already shredded paper will be accepted. The county will also collect clean and dry plastic bubble wrap, plastic shipping mailers and plastic wrap from cases of water and paper products. These must be bagged separately from papers and be dry and free of food residue.
Plastic PakTech drink carriers used to carry aluminum cans of beer, soda and seltzer will also be collected as part of a new county initiative. The carriers are recyclable, but should not be placed in curbside recycling bins because the machinery at the county recycling center cannot sort them. Residents are encouraged to bring their used plastic carriers to the recovery complex during shredding events or during its regular operating hours on weekdays and Saturdays. Carriers should be bagged separately from paper and plastic film.
The plastic film materials are recycled through a county partnership with Trex, a Virginia-based company that manufactures composite decking and railing from recycled plastics. Drink carriers will be recycled by the county and sent to mills to be made into new handles and other plastic products.
