Paper Shredding Events Successful

 The North Central Nebraska RC&D recently hosted its annual paper shredding routes, drawing strong participation from community members eager to dispose of outdated records. The event offered individuals and businesses the opportunity to safely destroy paperwork on-site, helping prevent identity theft while supporting local recycling efforts. Stops were made in eleven communities along Highways 20 and 12, in Cherry, Brown, Rock, Holt, Keya Paha, and Boyd counties. In total, almost 12 tons of paper were collected, shredded, and sent for recycling. Security Shredding Services shredded the sensitive documents, then took the paper confetti to their recycling facility in Laurel, Nebraska, where it was all compressed into large, dense bales. The bales were then hauled to a paper mill in Oklahoma, where the paper was broken down with water into individual fibers, cleaned to remove staples, glue, and ink, and then processed into a final product.

 Bales that contain a higher quantity of colored paper are typically made into paper towels and toilet paper, whereas bales that contain more office paper are made into printing paper. The turnaround time is quick. Within one week of the paper shredding events, the bales were trucked to Oklahoma, and about 72 hours later, the new product was made and on store shelves.  

 The paper shredding event wasn’t just about clearing clutter, but also about protecting identities and reducing landfill waste. If you have any questions about the paper shredding or the RC&D, more information can be found at northcentralrcd.com.