You’ve got two weeks to gather sensitive documents that you want destroyed to help protect your identity and finances.

That’s because Manteca’s next free drive-thru document shredding event is Saturday, April 27,  from 8 a.m. to noon.

Besides dropping off documents the city will accept e-waste and mattresses.

As in the past, those dropping items off will be directed into lines at the solid waste division office on Wetmore Avenue just east of the animal shelter on the corner at South Main Street.

In the past the twice-a-year shredding events have drawn between 800 and 1,100 vehicles.

The event is for City of Manteca residents only. No businesses can participate. Proof of residency is required. That can be a copy of a municipal utility bill or driver’s license.

Personal documents will be accepted for shredding that are dropped off in cardboard boxes or plastic bags.

E-waste such as monitors, computers, printers, TVs, and such are also being accepted.

Mattresses are also accepted this year. Items not eligible for recycling are water beds, futons or fold out sofas, air mattresses, mattress tops, mattresses that are soiled/cut/wet/or damaged, and any infested with bed bugs.

The event started 19 years ago with the goal of giving citizens a chance to drop off personal documents that can be pilfered from waste carts on solid waste collection days and then used by criminals to commit identity theft.

Documents such as cancelled checks, billing statements, old tax forms, and even magazine labels and other mail that simply has a name and an address were being used to steal identities.

Paperwork stolen from blue carts still plays a significant role in ID theft today as does the stealing of mail despite the shift to paperless documents. Police have noted criminals often pay $25 for a bag of such material making household and business documents that are tossed potential source of money for drug users and unscrupulous homeless people who rifle through carts and dumpsters.

Other recycling opportunities

offered by City of Manteca

The city has other free recycling services available.

*Electronic waste such as TVs, computers, printers, microwaves, phones and such can be dropped off Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Solid Waste Division office on Wetmore Street across from the water tower.

*Medical sharps as well as used batteries such as A, AA, AAA, C, and D are also accepted at the Solid Waste Division office on Wetmore Street Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Used light bulbs can be taken to the Manteca Home Depot store.

As for unwanted or expired medication, if you are unable to take them to the police department’s lobby drop box, there is another safe way of disposing of them.

Take a zip lock plastic bag, empty pills into the bag, pour in either milk or kitty litter, then smash the contents until it turns into a paste.

The zip lock bag of paste can then be tossed into the garbage.

It is illegal to flush prescriptions and over the counter drugs down the toilet or simply throw them into a garbage can.

The costs for staging the Shred It events are covered by solid waste fees paid each month by residents and businesses.

If you have questions, contact the solid waste division at (209) 456-8440.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com