Tax season brings industrial shredders!

I’m still working on my taxes. … I know.  …  In an effort to determine whether it’s worth taking the standard state sales tax exemption or itemizing my purchases, I’m digging my way through a chaotic pile of papers. Which brings me to the point of this post: Thank goodness that it’s shred season!

The season for spring cleaning and filing taxes is a great time to destroy sensitive documents you no longer need. If the thought of tediously hand-feeding piles of personal papers into your home shredder seems like a time-suck, you’re not alone.

Thankfully, this time of year also brings out the industrial shred trucks. Banks, businesses and local governments are hosting free community shred events where you can watch professionals rip and pulverize your papers into bits in mere minutes.

Shredding is a quick, simple solution to a big problem – identity fraud. Crooks love to get their sticky fingers on your account information. Hand-tearing isn’t sufficient to prevent someone from piecing back together your docs.  Someone even invented a software program called the Unshredder to reassemble paper strips so they’re legible.

More than 20 shred events are listed on our Web site at www.atg.wa.gov/shredathon.aspx and the AGO calendar, www.atg.wa.gov/news/upcoming-events. If you know of an event we’re missing, please send details to allconsuming@atg.wa.gov.