TAMPA, Fla. — Are you looking for a free, safe way to dispose of old papers and electronic devices? Gather everything up for Saturday!
Hillsborough County Consumer and Veterans Services is hosting Shred Fest 2022 to offer Tampa Bay-area residents an opportunity to safely get rid of documents and devices with personal information.
This free event runs from 9-11 a.m. Saturday at Veterans Memorial Park in Tampa.
People just need to drive up and stay in their cars while boxes and bags are collected.
There will be a three copy-paper-size box or three kitchen-size trash bag container limit for each car participating. White or clear bags are preferred.
But what exactly can be shredded? Here are some examples:
- Old bank documents
- Obsolete bills and receipts
- Old medical records containing personal information
- Expired home and car insurance policies
- Junk mail such as credit card offers with personal information
- Old travel documents, including boarding passes
- Sticky or other notes containing passwords
- CDs and DVDs (no 3-ring binders)
For everyone needing to get rid of electronic devices, "e-shredding" will be available, too. People can drop off old, unwanted devices which will be securely wiped clean and disposed of for free.
Here's a list of electronic devices that can be brought to the Shred Fest:
- Desktops
- Laptops
- Cellphones
- Circuit boards
- Game consoles
- Hard drives
- Printers
- Tablets
No commercial shredding is allowed at the event.
Shred Fest also offers free consumer education and protection services as National Consumer Protection Week kicks off, running from March 6-12. For more information on Hillsborough County's Consumer and Veterans Services, call 813-635-8316.
Some people may be asking, why is this event important? Shredding documents and wiping devices clean helps to prevent identity fraud.
Any documents with personal details on them can be used to steal an identity, which means someone could sign up for things like credits cards or passports under your name, Shredded Neat explains.
Something also to keep in mind? It's good for the planet. Shredding documents allows for less waste being sent to landfill sites, according to the shredding service.
