Union County Invites Residents to Safely Dispose of Personal Documents This August

The Union County Board of County Commissioners invites all residents to participate in the recycling of their personal documents and sensitive papers at the County's next free paper shredding event on Saturday, August 17^th, beginning at 9:00 a.m. and running until 1:00 p.m. The event will be held at Kean University in the Kean Hall Lot, located at 1000 Morris Avenue in Union.

"Our paper shredding events are not only essential for protecting against identity theft, but also for preserving trees and safeguarding our environment from potential hazards," said Union County Chairwoman Kimberly Palmieri-Mouded. "We invite everyone to join us in our recycling efforts as we work towards making Union County cleaner, safer, and more environmentally conscious."

Upon arrival, there will be plenty of signage to direct residents to the shredding site. The shredding event begins at 9:00 a.m. and will conclude promptly at 1:00 p.m., rain or shine. However, if the shredding trucks reach full capacity, the event will end earlier. Residents are advised to arrive at the start of the event to ensure that there is capacity for their materials.

All shredding events are drive-up and contact-free. We ask residents to have their papers in the trunk of their car or the cargo bed of their truck before arrival so that staff can easily remove the material to be shredded as easily and as efficiently as possible. Residents must remain in their cars while staff unload their papers, which are shredded on-site in a mobile shredding truck. Participants are reminded that pre-shredded, damp, or wet paper will not be accepted. Bindings, large plastic or metal clips, and other paraphernalia should be removed before arrival at the shredding site.

Union County's free shredding events are intended for personal, sensitive, and residentially generated documents only. Residents can recycle magazines, junk mail, and other waste paper through their municipal recycling program. For contact information regarding your municipal recycling program, please visit https://ucnj.org/recycling/municipal-recycling-coordinators/. Residents are limited to ten pounds (four bags/ boxes) per vehicle. Business documents will not be accepted for shredding at the events. Businesses that show up at the event will be turned away. Businesses that need shredding services can instead contact the Union County Bureau of Recycling and Planning by phone at 908-654-9890 or via the online form at www.ucnj.org/recycle for further guidance.

For the complete 2024 paper shredding schedule and information on all recycling programs hosted by Union County, visit ucnj.org/recycle or call the Union County Recycling Hotline at 908-654-9889. For the latest news and updates on all municipal and countywide recycling programs in Union County, download the free Recycle Coach app. More information is available at ucnj.org/recycling/recycle-coach-app.

Quick links to all Union County environmental programs and activities are available at ucnj.org/green-connection. The mobile paper shredding program is funded through Recycling Enhancement Act Grant funds, which are applied for by Union County and received from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.