ADA, Okla. - More than 15 tons of paper materials were collected during the April 22 shredding event at the Chickasaw Nation ReUse Center.
Paper collected at the event will now be recycled, instead of heading to the landfill, saving an estimated 42 cubic yards at the local landfill.
Local businesses, schools, government organizations and area residents took part in making the event the most successful to date.
"This is the best turnout we have had since the program started four years ago," said Mack Peterson, with Chickasaw Nation environmental services. "The shredding service had to bring out an extra truck by noon, something that has not happened before."
Major contributors to the amount of paper wastes recycled at the event include East Central University, Ada Public Schools and a local automobile dealership. The automobile dealership brought six full truckloads of materials, which was immediately shredded.
"We are tickled to use this resource," said Art Chapman, owner of Chaprell Dodge in Ada. "We were able to recycle confidential materials in an environmentally safe way."
The shredding event served more than 100 individual families. Norma Wallace drove from Sulphur, Okla., to have documents shredded.
"I read about the document shredding in the Chickasaw Times and marked it on my calendar," she said. "I have a little bitty shredder at the house, but I have lots to shred. I decided to drive from Sulphur for the convenience."
The document shredding events ensure an individual's confidential. Experts recommend people and companies shred bills, tax and bank information to prevent identity theft. At Chickasaw Nation sponsored shredding events, documents are immediately destroyed.
During the shredding event, the ReUse Center was also accepting for donations.
Open to public, the ReUse Center accepts furniture, appliances, electronics, clothing, household and kitchen items, paint, cleaning products and building materials, and provides innovative, practical ways to recycle household and construction goods.
"I brought some children's clothes, toys and household items," said Aaron Finney of Allen, Okla. "I did not have anything to shred, but wanted to donate things I won't use anymore."
Patrons may take what they need from the ReUse Center, free of charge.
Opened in 2010, the tribal ReUse Center has diverted more than 261 tons of usable household goods from landfills.
Excess inventory is donated to a Norman, Okla. charity and distributed in the Oklahoma City metro area, or sent to impoverished nations that have a need for household items and clothing.
The Chickasaw Nation Reuse Center was one of the first of its kind in Oklahoma and the second in the nation funded by a Native American tribe.
Since opening, it has received recognition for its community efforts by the State of Oklahoma, including the state-sponsored "Keep Oklahoma Beautiful" award in 2010.
The Chickasaw Nation ReUse Center is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and is located at 2205 North Broadway in Ada.
