Joplin Recycling Center offers new self-serve document destruction service

(From the City of Joplin)

Unnecessary personal papers often clutter homes due to residents’ fear of identity theft and fraud if these sensitive documents are put into trash or recycling bins.

The Joplin Recycling Center has recently improved their process to help people with these disposal challenges by replacing their shredding machine with a locked 96-gallon container that will be switched out on a weekly basis. CRC Shredding, the City’s secure service provider, will remove the locked container of documents to be shredded with an empty container each week.

The process remains self-serve, but now patrons can drop up to 200 pages at a time through the restricted opening on the container instead of feeding 16 pages at a time into a shredding mechanism. This new service will be much quicker and easier, and remains at no cost to patrons.

CRC Shredding is a division of Computer Recycling Center based out of Springfield, Missouri. The company’s shredding service is AAA Certified by the National Association for Information Destruction and is fully compliant with industry standards and regulations. All employees are background checked and drug screened. Additionally, CRC shredding is protected by Downstream Data Coverage the only professional labiality coverage for the shredding industry.

Mary Anne Phillips, Joplin’s Recycling Coordinator stated, “Identity theft and fraud resulting from items stolen from the trash or curbside recycling bins is the easiest type of crime to prevent. By allowing document destruction companies to completely shred receipts, address labels, or pieces of paper with identifying information like account numbers, you can stop identity theft.”

Captain Trevor Duncan, PIO/Professional Standards with the Joplin Police Department reminds residents and businesses that simply ripping an item a few times by hand is not sufficient! Identity thieves will spend hours putting ripped documents back together like a jigsaw puzzle.

Types of items identity thieves seek include:
Expired credit and debit cards
Credit and debit card receipts
Unused credit card checks
Credit card statements
Canceled checks
Investment account statements
Pension account statements
Paycheck stubs
Wage and earnings statements
Phone and utility bills
Retail invoices and statements
Tax returns and statements
Medical bills
Insurance claim information
Checking and savings account statements
Pre-approved credit card offers and applications
Insurance policy information (auto, health, life)
Expired identification documents (driver’s licenses and passports)

It was noted that even return addresses on envelopes indicate where you bank; who your doctor is; where your investments are held; who your mortgage is maintained by and provide other similar information that provides a blueprint of your life.

Captain Duncan further stated, “If residents fear they have been a victim of identity theft, they should contact their local law enforcement agency.”

Phillips also said that the service is geared toward residential, but the Center welcomes businesses with small quantities. If a commercial entity needs help contracting with a document or electronic destruction service, they may contact Mary Anne Phillips, Joplin Recycling Coordinator 417-624-0820 extension 501, CRC Shredding at 417-866-2588, or any of the other companies that serve the Joplin area.

The Joplin Recycling Center is open Tuesday and Thursday from Noon to 6 p.m. and Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and is open to everyone regardless of residency.