There’s a new location for Burlington County residents to safely dispose of confidential documents and special plastic this year.
The Burlington County Institute of Technology’s Westampton Campus, located at 695 Woodlane Road, will host the County’s first two Paper Shredding and Plastics Collection events of the year on March 30 and May 4.
Both events will run from 9 AM to 1 PM, rain or shine.
During the events, residents can shred and recycle confidential documents like bank and credit card statements, tax returns and other papers with sensitive data, such as account and Social Security information.
Last year, 117,000 pounds of paper were shredded during the County’s spring and fall shredding events.
“Burlington County is excited to offer free programs that allow our residents to dispose of financial papers and sensitive documents in a safe and environmentally friendly manner,” said Burlington County Commissioner Director Felicia Hopson. “Moving the shredding event to this new, convenient location at BCIT-Westampton will hopefully encourage more residents to take advantage of this County service.”
Shredding is reserved for Burlington County residents only (out-of-county residents, businesses and nonprofits will be turned away) and only confidential papers will be accepted at the event. Magazines, junk mail and household trash will not be accepted, nor will binders, plastic folders, computer discs or plastic credit cards.
Identification is required. There is a limit of four bags or boxes of paper weighing no more than 10 pounds each. Please place them in the trunk or cargo areas so staff can easily remove them. Already shredded paper will be accepted.
During the shredding events, the County will also collect clean and dry plastic materials, including:
• Plastic bubble wrap, plastic shipping mailers, and plastic wrap from cases of water and paper products (must be bagged separately from papers and free of food residue).
• PakTech drink carriers (“handles”) used for carrying aluminum cans of beer, soda, and seltzer (must be bagged separately from other plastic materials).
These plastics should NOT be placed in curbside recycling bins, because the machinery at the County’s recycling center cannot process them and may be damaged by the materials.
Burlington County Commissioner Tom Pullion, the liaison to the County Department of Solid Waste and Recycling, emphasized the environmental and financial benefits of proper recycling.
“Every pound of paper and plastic we recycle correctly saves landfill space and reduces the tax dollars municipalities spend on disposal fees,” Pullion said. “Last year, Burlington County residents helped recycle more than 80 million pounds of recyclables, saving municipalities around $3.9 million in additional fees. We want to surpass those totals in 2025, and these shredding events can help us reach that goal.”
Residents can find additional recycling information through the County’s free Recycle Coach app, available for download on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app provides details on accepted materials and updates on collection schedules for each town.
For specific recycling questions, contact the Burlington County Recycling Coordinator at 609-499-1001 or email recycle@co.burlington.nj.us