The city of North Royalton recently announced that the next Shred Day has been changed from October 17 to September 12. The free event will take place from 9:00 a.m. until noon at Memorial Park, located at14600 State Road.
The previous Shred Day, which took place on August 1, experienced some difficulties, keeping many residents waiting for long periods of time. “We understand the frustration,” said Mayor Larry Antoskiewicz. “We had over 400 cars, bringing a record total of 20,000 pounds of shred items, which quickly filled the trucks during the first half of the event.” He went on to say that “as everyone knows, the August Shred Day event was extremely hectic. Unfortunately, there were a series of circumstances out of our control. COVID delayed the shred event for not only us but many communities across the region. Then our shred company suspended services, due to the virus, just a few weeks before our first scheduled shred. We quickly changed companies in an effort to maintain this service for our residents. On the day of the August 1 event, not only were there more cars than normal bringing more paper than normal, but a shred truck broke down early on during the event, leaving us with just one truck for the first portion of the morning.”
A second Shred Day event was originally scheduled for September 12, then changed to October 17, and has now changed back to September 12. “I understand some may be upset by the number of date changes,” said Antoskiewicz. “In order to adequately prepare for the upcoming shred, we reached out to the company conducting our October 17 Shred Day, a different company than the August shredder, to reconfirm there would be two trucks. We were told only one truck was possible due to the expanded demand. Luckily, we have been able to re-secure the original September 12 date with two trucks. I know residents are frustrated we have moved the date several times, but COVID has led to a great deal of inconvenience and frustration this year. I feel the earlier date with two trucks is the better option, based on feedback from residents.”
Shred Day events are available to North Royalton residents only. PROPER IDENTIFICATION IS REQUIRED AND WILL BE CHECKED. The event is not meant for businesses or residents from other communities. Residents are not charged for this event, as the funding is provided through a grant from the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District.
In order to facilitate a smooth event, residents are asked to bring the items in paper bags or cardboard boxes; no plastic bags, plastic bins or crates, as it slows the process. Due to COVID-19, residents are also asked to remain in the vehicle and that the items be kept in the trunk, rather than the back seat of the vehicle.
Items that are acceptable for shredding include: Financial documents, Bank statements, Tax returns, Credit card statements, Expired credit cards, Insurance forms and records, Junk mail, Family records, Confidential information.
Staples and small paper clips are acceptable.
Items that cannot be shredded, include: Newspapers, Phone books, Magazines, Binders, Books, Pendaflex folders, Food wrappers, Candy wrappers, Waxed paper, Photographs, Napkins, Styrofoam containers.
“I thank you for your patience and understanding,” said Antoskiewicz. “ It has been a trying year, but we are working through it.” Any questions or comments can be directed to his office at 440-237-5686.

By GLORIA PLEVA KACIK
Contributing Writer