CLAYTON — Gloucester County Freeholders announced that the county will hold its 10th Annual BIG Shredding Event on Saturday, June 20 from 8:00 a.m. to 12 Noon sharp at the Gloucester County Government Complex, 1200 N. Delsea Drive, Clayton.

Freeholder Director Robert M. Damminger said, “Last year a record amount of documents were brought by residents to be safely disposed of at this event.  Shredding old documents that contain personal information is one of the best ways to decrease the chances of having your identity stolen.”

Freeholder Lyman Barnes, Liaison to the Department of Consumer Protection said that over 30,000 pounds of recyclable material is expected to be collected at the June 20 shredding event.

Barnes said, “Identity theft is a crime and we want our residents to protect themselves. Old bank statements, credit card bills and other sensitive information should always be shredded and never just discarded in the trash.” Barnes said that dumpster diving, or digging through trash, is still one of the most popular methods used by identity thieves to gain others personal information.

The shredding event is free and open to residents of Gloucester County.  To ensure all documents are properly disposed of, an industrial size shredder truck will be on site along with the Gloucester County Sheriff’s Department and officials from the office of Consumer Protection.

Paper will be accepted in boxes and bags, staples in paper are fine, but no clips or binder clips are acceptable, neither are books or magazines.

The BIG Shredding event is offered to county residents through a partnership of the Board of Freeholders, County Office of Consumer Protection, and the Gloucester County Sheriff’s Department. The shredding will be performed by DocuVault, a Gloucester County company located in Thorofare.

If someone suspects they are a victim of identity theft they should contact their local police department immediately and contact the county office of Consumer Affairs for personal guidance.

The BIG Shredding event is opened to Gloucester County residents only and each household will be limited to 3 boxes or 3 bags of household paper not to exceed 75 pounds.  The event will be held rain or shine and no businesses will be permitted.

Residents can call 856-384-6855 for directions or with questions on what documents can be shredded and the timeline for holding certain others.