Free Disposal Events Coming Soon!

April 9, 2018 by Jennifer Leave a Comment

It is a great time to clear out things you don’t want or shouldn’t keep any longer. There are two important events on Saturday, April 28th.

Nation-wide you can participate in the National Prescription Take-Back Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Follow this link to find locations near you: https://bit.ly/2ev8CLN This is an opportunity for people to dispose of prescription drugs that they no longer use safely.

Protect your identity by carefully disposing of personal records, including financial and medical records.

In the Austin, Texas area you can participate in Austin ARMA’s Free Shred Day from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (or until the trucks are full) at ACC Highland Campus, 523 E. Highland Mall Blvd.

Dry paper of any color is the only accepted material. All paper should be in cardboard boxes with lids or flaps that close. This will ensure no documents will get dropped or carried off by the wind, keeping your information protected. DO NOT TAPE THE BOX CLOSED. We cannot accept paper in plastic bags or leaf bags. You can use any cardboard box with a fitting lid that is not larger than 24” x 24” x 36”. We have to ensure the volunteers can pick the boxes up. We also cannot accept flimsy boxes that may fall apart if picked up.

Please do not bring plastics, wet paper, clothes, electronics, metal, three-ring binders, wood, binder clips, rubber bands or anything else that is not dry paper.

Here is a Guide to Person Records Retention from ARMA to help you decide what you may let go of. https://bit.ly/2qn89Sy

For more details go to https://www.austinarma.com/shred-day

Free Drop Off Events

April 24, 2014 by Jennifer 4 Comments

Whether you are celebrating Earth Day, clearing out your old financial documents or just doing some spring cleaning , many organizations are holding events for the public to drop off unwanted items for proper and safe disposal.

Here is a list of some of those events. Most of them are in the Austin, TX area. The Drug Take Back event is Nation-wide. Check your local area for many similar events.

Saturday, April 26th Dispose of your unused or expired drugs. 10am-2pm. This is a nation wide event. Go to this link to find a location near you: https://www.justice.gov/dea/index.shtml

Free Electronics Recycling in Austin this Saturday, April 26th. 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the parking lot at Austin High School at 1715 W Cesar Chavez Street.

Items Accepted, working or not:

– Cell Phones or Smartphones (i.e. Android, Blackberry or Apple)
– Tablets (i.e. iPads, Kindles or Android Tablets)
– Home Electronics, Stereo Equipment and Cable Boxes
– Computer Accessories & Printers
– Laptop and Desktop Computers
– Personal Electronics (i.e. cameras, iPods, video cameras)
– Monitors & CRT’s
– CD’s, DVD’s and VHS tapes
– UNFORTUNATELY, TUBE TVs OR APPLIANCES ARE NOT ACCEPTED

https://www.austinisd.org/announcements/aisd-host-free-city-wide-electronics-recycling-event-april-26

AAA Texas in partnership with Cintas, is holding three free Shred-a-Thons on May 3 from 10am to 1pm.

AAA members may bring up to FIVE boxes or paper grocery bags filled with personal papers for on-site shredding. The AAA Branches offering this service are: Austin North, Houston-The Woodlands, and Fort Worth. Branch locations are available at www.AAA.com/branches.

Free Shredding Day – May 17, 2014!

When: 8:00am – 1:30pm
Where: Austin High Parking Lot, 1715 W. Cesar Chavez

The Austin chapter of ARMA International is sponsoring their 11th annual free SPRING Shred Day. With the increased awareness of identity theft, it’s important to carefully dispose of personal records. Households can bring up to five boxes of paper records per household. All of the shredded material is recycled. Please make sure your records are paper only (no hard plastics, no plastic bags, electronic media or three-ring binders) and are not wet or moldy. Mobile shredding trucks will be provided by Balcones Resources, Cintas, and Iron Mountain.

ARMA International is a not-for-profit professional association and the authority on governing information as a strategic asset. Visit https://austin.arma.org/ for more info!

Shredding Tips and Thoughts

November 8, 2013 by Jennifer Leave a Comment

“If it is worth shredding, it is worth having it done right.” ~ Jennifer Lava-Professional Organizer

Yesterday I was working with a client in his home office and we were discussing shredding of old documents. It occurred to me that some people know the importance of shredding some of their materials, but they get concerned about the cost. There are essentially 3 levels to think about. If you have a very large number of old documents, it is most cost effective to hire a company to pick up your boxes and shred them. If you have 1-3 boxes, it is most effective to go to a local retailer that charges by the pound. If you have less and once you are on a regular routine, invest in a decent shredder for your home or office. all of these have some level of expense involved, but the protection of your identity and finances are worth the relatively small expense and effort.

Fortunately, in most communities, there are organizations that hold periodic shredding events that are free for the public. In Austin there is one tomorrow, November 9th.

Free Household Document Shredding

With the increased awareness of identity theft, it is more important than ever to carefully dispose of personal records such as credit card statements and checking account records. The Austin Chapter of ARMA International (Association of Records Managers and Administrators), and Balcones Shred are sponsoring a FALL free “Shred Day.”

Mark you calendar for Saturday, November 9th, 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Balcones Shred (9301 Johnny Morris Road).

Households can bring up to five boxes of paper records per household for shredding. Box size should not be larger than 24” X 24”X 36”. All of the shredded material and cardboard boxes are recycled. Please make sure your records are paper only (no hard plastics, no plastic bags, electronic media or three-ring binders) and are not wet or moldy. Monetary donations will be accepted with a portion of the proceeds going to Blue Santa.

Please note the change in location for the fall shred day. The event will be held at 9301 Johnny Morris Road. For more details regarding the free household shredding, contact Dana Simpson at Dana.Simpson@BBVACompass (512-453-0250) or William Basinger at wtbasinger@gmail.com.