HUNTERDON COUNTY, N.J. — More than 13 tons of sensitive documents were securely destroyed and recycled during Hunterdon County’s latest Ident-A-Shred event, county officials announced.
The event, held Saturday, Sept. 19, collected 27,300 pounds, or 13.65 tons, of documents containing personal and confidential information.
Hunterdon County Commissioner Director John E. Lanza commended County Clerk Mary H. Melfi, Sheriff Fred W. Brown and county staff for the event, which provides county residents with a free and secure way to dispose of sensitive documents while promoting recycling.
“Ident-A-Shred continues to demonstrate how County government can provide a practical service that both protects our residents and benefits the environment,” said Commissioner Director Lanza. “I want to thank County Clerk Mary Melfi, Sheriff Fred Brown, and our county staff who helped make the September event another tremendous success. The participation we continue to see from our residents speaks to the value of this program.”
According to the county’s third-party shredding provider, recycling the 27,300 pounds of paper saved an estimated 191 trees, 95,550 gallons of water, 49,413 kilowatt-hours of energy and 81.9 cubic yards of landfill space, based on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency calculations.
“Beyond providing residents with a secure way to protect their personal information, these numbers demonstrate the considerable environmental impact that can result from properly recycling paper on this scale,” Lanza said. “We appreciate Clerk Melfi and Sheriff Brown’s continued commitment to offering this important service to Hunterdon County residents.”
The next Ident-A-Shred event is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 17, from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Route 12 County Complex, 314 State Highway 12 in Raritan Township. The event could end earlier if the trucks reach capacity.
Ident-A-Shred is available to Hunterdon County residents and is intended for the secure disposal of personal documents that could compromise a person’s identity.
