BOWIE, MD — Prince George's County residents wanting to get rid of old financial records, bills and other documents containing personal information can have them securely shredded for free Saturday in Bowie.
The Prince George's County Department of the Environment will host a mobile document shredding event from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Prince George's Stadium, which is located at 4101 Crain Highway.
The event will be held rain or shine.
Residents can bring up to five boxes of personal documents per vehicle for shredding. The service is limited to noncommercial vehicles and business documents will not be accepted.
The event is designed to help residents safely dispose of paperwork containing sensitive information while reducing the risk of identity theft.
Documents that may contain information worth shredding include old bank statements, credit card bills, medical records, tax documents that are no longer required and other paperwork containing Social Security numbers or account information.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, shredding documents containing personal or financial information before discarding them can help prevent identity thieves from obtaining sensitive information.
Residents should make sure documents are no longer needed for tax, legal or financial purposes before destroying them.
The shredding event is part of Prince George's County's ongoing efforts to encourage responsible disposal of household materials and protect residents' personal information.
Participants should arrive before the event ends at 1 p.m. and follow instructions from staff directing vehicles through the collection area.
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