Shredding services help prevent costly identity theft

Shredding services are inexpensive and easy to do. Compared to the cost of fixing your credit if your identity is stolen, it’s truly a bargain.

To protect yourself from identity theft, it is very important to securely destroy routine, but sensitive information. Merely tossing it in the trash or recycle bin is a habit you may one day regret.

Listed below are several ways to shred sensitive materials. You can choose convenient methods at modest cost or take advantage of seasonal free community shredding events.

What to shred

Here are some of the common documents you need to shred:

• Bank account and credit card statements
• Insurance policies, contracts, and other legal documents
• Medical records
• Cancelled checks, Invoices, receipts, and pay stubs
• Documents with signatures, addresses, social security numbers, or telephone numbers

Shred these and any other documents containing personal information that someone could use to steal your identity and create serious credit problems that can take many years to resolve.

Data destruction and shredding companies

These are several companies who provide shredding services for a fee. A paid service is useful for small businesses as well as individuals for large projects, such as when moving or downsizing.

Depending on your needs, some companies do more than just shred paper. Some can accept mixed media, including: hanging folders, plastic folders, compact discs, ring binders, and more. 

Puget Sound shredding companies

These companies Puget Sound region offer industrial services that include not only paper shredding but data destruction on any type of media. Services vary, many offer economical drop-off service, pick-up service with offsite data destruction, and mobile or on-site shredding at your location. Check their website for details and pricing.

• Allshred in Bremerton
• SeaDruNar Recycling in south Seattle
• American Shredding in Tacoma
• ProShred in Tukwila
• LeMay Mobile Shredding in Western Washington & Oregon

National shredding services

The following national chain stores offer shredding services at stores nationwide. They charge by the pound, which is useful if you are shredding small amounts (less than one box). Otherwise, drop-off shredding is a better deal.

• Fedex In-Store shredding services 
• Office Depot shredding services
• UPS Stores shredding services

How to save on shredding costs

The least expensive service is drop-off shredding. In this case, your documents are added to a larger batch that combines documents from multiple customers to be destroyed later. Your documents should be placed in a locked and secure holding bin while awaiting their destruction.

Drop-off is usually priced by the file/banker box and can be as little as $10 per box. Smaller amounts may be charged by the pound. To get the most shredding for your money, remove materials that do not contain sensitive information, such as file folders, instruction booklets, and other non-personal materials.

Pick-up service for files to be collected and destroyed later may be priced higher than drop-off or may require minimums. Mobile shredding is an enhanced service that shreds materials at your location. Pick-up or mobile on-site service is an affordable option for businesses that have large volumes of sensitive documents. For either type, you can request a one-time or occasional purge, or schedule regular on-going service (such as monthly or quarterly, depending on your volume).

If your volume is low, “do-it-yourself” or DIY shredding may be a better option. We offer more advice on DIY shredding options below.

DIY document shredding

DIY shredding using a small home office machine is relatively inexpensive and convenient. The average cost of a home shredder is $50-$100. You can find shredders at slightly lower prices and of course at much higher prices.

Before you purchase a machine, be sure to confirm with your garbage collection service about the correct way to dispose of shredded paper. The correct type of disposal bin can vary depending on whether the paper is straight cut or cross-cut. For some services, straight-cut is placed in the recycling bin, while in others it goes in the compost or green waste bin. Cross-cut shredded material may also go in the garbage bin because it is neither recyclable or compostable–it depends entirely on the garbage collection service where you live.

A lower priced shredder will have limited sheet capacity, cut the paper in long strips, may require removal of staples, will require removal of paper clips, and may not shred materials other than paper, such as thick cardboard or plastic credit cards. For many households, careful attention to sorting paper and removing staples for use in a lower priced model should provide several years of shredding capability.

If you need or want more features, you will need to spend more money on a shredding machine. A cross-cut shredder, which cuts documents in two directions and destroys the information more thoroughly will cost more than a less expensive straight-cut model.

If your household has lots of paper mail such as credit card statements, utility bills, and other documents, or if you run a home business, your shredding needs will be higher volume and more frequent. In this case, the DIY route may not be your best option and you may need more volume or regular service from one of the above data destruction companies. Keep in mind that drop-off service can be very cost effective for homeowners and small businesses. If you require only a few boxes per year, drop-off service is a more economical choice over buying a shredding machine for home or office use.

But there is one more shredding method that is cheaper—namely, free community shredding events.

Free community shredding events

Free paper shredding events are hosted throughout the year by various communities and organizations. These events are similar to paid drop-off service at a shredding company—your bags or boxes are added to a larger bin for shredding later. Most community shredding events have limits on the amount you can bring. These community events may also be limited by the capacity of the collection bins. If they reach capacity before the scheduled end of the event, it will end early. So, go earlier rather than later if you can.

A few shredding events are not free. Some are fundraisers that request a donation to a charitable organization. The suggested fee may be higher than a paid drop-off service. But it’s for a good cause—and may be a tax deduction, so check with your tax adviser.

The following organizations list community shredding events throughout the year. Visit their website for more infomation on what is acceptable. Some also accept other recyclables or even donations to the local food bank or other charitable organization.

BECU Shred and e-Cycle Events (Everett, Federal Way, and Tukwila)

BECU hosts Free Shred Events every spring and fall in Everett, Federal Way, and Tukwila. They’ll also collect cash and nonperishable donations to support a non-profit in your neighborhood. All events will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., or until the trucks are full. For more information: Shred and eCycle Event | BECU

Federal Way free recycling events

• Sep 14, 2024, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM at South King Tool Library, 1700 S 340th St, Federal Way, WA 98003. More info: Drive-thru Tires/Appliance/Electronics & Paper Shredding Event | SouthKingTools

Kenmore/Lake Forest Park Recycling Events

Residential recycling events are held two times a year, in spring and fall. More info: City Residential Recycling Events | City of Kenmore Washington

• Fall 2024 TBA

Kent Recycling Events

Each year the City of Kent hosts a number of FREE recycling collection events that allow residents to dispose of recyclable items not typically accepted at the curb. More info: Recycling Collection Events | City of Kent (kentwa.gov)

Kent Friday Mini Recycling Events focus on collecting TV’s & Electronics, Document Shredding, and Paint. 

• Friday, April 19, 2024, from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Kent Library – 212 2nd Ave N
• Friday, May 10, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. – noon. Kent United Methodist Church – 11010 SE 248th St
• Friday, June 21, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. – noon. Hogan Park – 2440 Russell Road

Kent Saturday Recycling Events accept the following items: Appliances, Batteries, Bulky yard debris (spring and summer only), CFC appliances , Concrete, Brick, Rock (summer and fall only), Documents for shredding, Electronics (No TV’s or monitors – visit e-cycle Washington for more details), Mattresses and box springs (No futons), Porcelain – toilets, tubs, and sinks, Propane tanks, Scrap metal, Styrofoam, Tires (no rims) – Passenger tires only – limit 10/vehicle (spring and fall only), Textiles.

• Saturday, March 2, 2024, from 9am-3pm. Hogan Park, 24400 Russell Road
• Saturday, June 8, 2024, from 9am-3pm. Canyon Ridge Middle School, 11000 SE 264th St
• Saturday, October 12, from 9am-3pm. Hogan Park, 24400 Russell Road

LeMay FREE paper shredding events

LeMay Mobile Shredding offers free community shredding across Western Washington. More info: LeMay Mobile Shredding – Events

LeMay FREE paper shredding events – September 2024

• 07 September 10:00 am – 1:00 pm at Central Maintenance Facility | 4812 196th Street East, Spanaway, WA
• 14 September 9:00 am – 12:00 pm at Kitsap Bank-Silverdale | 10488 Silverdale Way NW, Silverdale, WA
• 14 September 9:00 am – 12:00 pm at Kitsap Bank-Belfair | 24180 State Route S, Belfair, WA
• 14 September 10:00 am – 1:00 pm at Key Peninsula Fire | 8911 Key Peninsula Highway NW, Lakebay, WA
• 14 September 10:00 am – 1:00 pm at Kitsap Credit Union-Puyallup | 17520 Meridian East Puyallup, WA
• 14 September 10:00 am – 1:00 pm at Silvermark | 7901 168th Avenue NE, Redmond, WA
• 14 September 10:00 am – 1:00 pm at Kitsap Credit Union-Puyallup | 17520 Meridian, East Puyallup, WA
• 21 September 9:00 am – 1:00 pm at Anacortes Walgreens Parking lot | 909 17th Avenue Street, Anacortes, WA
• 21 September 9:00 am – 12:00 pm at Kitsap Bank-Poulsbo | 19725 7th Avenue NE, Poulsbo, WA
• 21 September 10:00 am – 1:00 pm at Commencement Bank | 220 15Th St NE Auburn, Wash 98002
• 21 September 11:00 am – 2:00 pm at WALF Thrift Store | 1660 Roberta Avenue, Freeland, WA
• 28 September 9:00 am – 12:00 pm at Kitsap Bank-Bainbridge | 10140 NE High School Road, Bainbridge, WA
• 28 September 9:00 am – 12:00 pm at Kitsap Bank-Bremerton | 3425 Wheaton Way, Bremerton, WA
• 28 September 9:00 am – 1:00 pm at LeMay Mobile Shredding | 2904 Hogum Bay Rd NE, Lacey, WA 98516
• 28 September 9:00 am – 1:00 pm at LeMay Mobile Shredding | 2904 Hogum Bay Rd NE, Lacey, WA 98516
• 28 September 10:00 am – 2:00 pm at West Pierce Fire | 5000 Steilacoom Blvd SW, Lakewood, WA

Office Depot free 5lb shredding in April

Office Depot – Find a Store makes tax season less, uh, taxing! by offering FREE in-store shredding service during the month of April at Office Depot or OfficeMax—regularly $.99 per pound. However, it requires a coupon and you do have to pay the sales tax. Find coupon at the bottom of this page: Shredding + Storage Services | Office Depot. Fine print: Valid in store only. Must present this original coupon (reproductions not valid) to cashier at time of purchase. Not combinable with Store Purchasing or Store Discount Cards; Rewards Member or Business Select Member pricing; or other offers and promotions. Not valid for purchases made in Office Depot or OfficeMax clearance/closing stores. Coupon is good for one-time use only, is not transferable, and is not for resale or auction. No cash back. Excludes taxes. Void where prohibited. We reserve the right to limit quantities sold to each customer. Limit 1 coupon per household/business. Coupon expires 4/27/2024.

Pierce County free shredding events

Shred up to three shopping bags of paper at each event. Only shred portions of documents with sensitive information. For example, an entire banking statement does not need to be shredded—just the sections with account numbers. Remember that information like names, addresses, and birthdays are usually already available online and are not high priority for shredding.

All Pierce County shred events are from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. or until the truck is full. For more information: Shred Events | Pierce County, WA – Official Website (piercecountywa.gov)

• 9/7/2024: Fredrickson Pierce County Central Maintenance Facility
• 9/14/2024: Key Peninsula Key Peninsula Fire Station #46
• 9/28/2024: Lakewood/Steilacoom West Pierce Fire & Rescue Station 21
• 10/5/2024: Parkland Spanaway Sprinker Recreation Center
• 10/19/2024: Sumner Sumner City Hall
• 10/26/2024: South Hill Pierce County Airport

Renton Shred-A-Thon & Prescription Drug Take Back

• Saturday, April 27, 2024. 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. (or until trucks are full). Renton Memorial Stadium, 405 Logan Ave N, Renton, WA 98057. More info: Shred-A-Thon & Prescription Drug Take Back – City of Renton (rentonwa.gov)

Western Washington free shredding events

Community shred events sponsored by Washington State. For more information: Community Shred Events | Washington State

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