Document Destruction

Paper that gets shredded at a SWANCC event will be transported to a Materials Recovery Facility, baled and sold to a paper mill.  The paper will then be reprocessed and made into new paper and paper products.  The stream must be clean and free of any other type of materials – known as “contamination”.  Please read information below before attending an event!

Residents can bring up to six (6) file-size boxes or paper grocery bags of paper documents containing personal information such as; medical forms, bank statements, retired tax records, financial planning or documents with personal information – address labels are not considered “personal information”.  

• Paper must be dry, clean and loose – not in binders or folders
• Remove all metal clips – small staples are okay
• Remove all plastic covers or binders
• Do Not bring paper in plastic bags

• NO – Photos or family albums
• NO - Photo negatives
• NO – Plastic credit or gift cards
• NO - Plastic covers from check books or registers
• NO - Store receipts
• NO - Books 

Paper NOT WANTED – recycle in your curbside cart!

• NO - Magazines 
• NO – Junk mail, ads or coupons
• NO - Greeting cards
• NO - Newspapers

Batteries, electronics, medications, sharps, etc. pose a health and safety danger to those touching the paper documents, and batteries can spark fires inside the paper truck as terminal ends come in contact with the metal shredder!  Additionally, contamination will lower the value of the paper when sold.

If your paper is not prepared correctly, you will be turned away.  Thank you for your cooperation!

No business or institutional waste will be accepted.

According to the  Federal Trade Commission, it is estimated that 10 million Americans were victims of identity theft last year, prompting the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) in Washington to issue new warnings about safekeeping financial information.

All documents will be shredded on-site. Workers will remove documents from vehicles and put them in a toter. When the toter is full, it is suctioned into the truck and shredded at once.

Yes, the machine will cross-shred the documents.

No, the machine can handle staples and paper clips, however, you need to remove all binders.

The shredded documents are transported to Groot’s recycling facility in Elk Grove Village and baled before being recycled into new paper.

Generally, taxable documents should be stored for seven years. Some documents should be kept forever, and others can be recycled after your review.