def #83 04/28/10
OCEAN COUNTY TO HOLD DOCUMENT SHREDDING PROGRAM
OCEAN COUNTY helped residents safely get rid of more than 54 tons of personal documents last year through its free
residential document shredding program.
“Due to its success, the program will return this year. It will start on May 7 and will be held throughout various
locations in the County,” announced Freeholder Director James F. Lacey, who serves as liaison to the county’s recycling
program. “We started this with a pilot program three years ago and there is no doubt that our residents have a real use for
this.”
Lacey noted that more than 350 phone calls have already been received by the county’s Department of Solid Waste
Management inquiring about the program.
“This program is designed to provide residents and taxpayers with the opportunity to recycle their old documents
and files safely and securely,” Lacey said. “The service representatives are uniformed, bonded and insured and the shredding
unit features an automatic feeding and dumping system, so that it’s not necessary for someone to have to handle the
documents.”
Freeholder John P. Kelly, Director of Law and Public Safety, noted that the increased concern over identity theft
has raised the awareness of many county residents.
“This program is a step our residents can take to help protect themselves from identity theft,” Kelly said. “We have
to be vigilant and Ocean County is certainly helping to keep our residents from becoming victims of this crime.”
The dates and locations for the program are May 7 at the Manchester Township Public Works Garage, Route 70; May 8,
Lacey Township Recycling Center, Municipal Lane; May 14, Brick Township Recycling Center, 836 Ridge Road; May 15, Ocean
County Southern Recycling Center, 379 Haywood Road, Stafford Township; May 21, Toms River Recycling Center, Church Road,
and May 22, Berkeley Township Recycling Center, Pinewald Keswick Road.
The shredding program runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on all scheduled days or until the truck, which can hold up to
8,000 pounds of paper, is full. Registration is not required and the program runs on a first come first served basis. A
maximum of six banker boxes of documents will be accepted per vehicle.
“Residents using the program should stagger the times they arrive so there is not a wait,” Lacey said. “We are
trying to provide people with an opportunity to discard old personal papers safely and also have the process flow smoothly.”
The Board of Freeholders is expected to award a contract to Safeguard Document Destruction, Manalapan, in the amount of
$3,853, which will cover a total of 15 shredding dates.
Lacey noted the county is paying about 45 percent less this year to operate the document shredding program.
“This program is not about volume, it’s all about safety,” he said.
