Community Shred Day proves to be popular event with residents

While 5,000 pounds of paper was shredded at the event, the truck actually had capacity for twice that amount.

Some homes and other places in Perry are cluttered with a lot less paper, thanks to a recent community event.

Perry Community Shred Day, which took place Feb. 16, turned out to be a popular program, said Perry Township Fiscal Officer Christine Page.

“I’m told we disposed of about 5,000 pounds of paper,” Page said at the Feb. 26 meeting of Perry Township trustees.

Residents of the township and Perry and North Perry villages were invited to bring unlimited quantities of paper to be shredded at the free, four-hour event. Secure, on-site paper shredding was conducted by Shred-it.

The Shred-it driver didn’t have to wait long to start shredding once the event kicked off at 10 a.m. in the parking lot of the Perry Township Administration Office at 3740 Center Road.

“When he had the truck ready to go, cars were lined up on Center Street,” Page said. “It was crazy.”

The first hour of the event was marked by constant shredding activity, while traffic during the final three hours of the event was intermittent, she added.

Most of the people who brought paper to be shredded were residents, Page observed. She only recognized one business owner who stopped with a supply of paper.

The event was co-sponsored by Perry Township and the Perry Public Library. Both entities sent large quantities of their own paper through the shredder.

“Between (Perry Township) and the library, we got rid of about 40 boxes of paper,” Page said.

The mobile shredding truck performed admirably through most of the event, except for one rough moment.

“We only jammed up the shredder once,” Page said. “Jammed it up really good with the time cards from the library, but beyond that it went real well.”

While 5,000 pounds of paper was shredded at the event, the truck actually had capacity for twice that amount.

“I had hoped there would be more,” she said.

Page said the Community Shred Day cost about $750 to conduct. She’s not sure about the next time a similar event will be offered by the same co-sponsors.

“I wish we could do it more often, for everybody else’s benefit,” Page said. “I don’t need to do it but about every five years. But it really is an expensive proposition to do it right.”