The company has fences and gates, but many times, they're open to allow trucks inside. That means a gust a wind can take your personal papers and scatter them. A SRP representative told us he tries to keep recyclables in by sending crews outside the gates to clean up. But here's where you can do your part: dust off your shredder and use it for anything that has your name on it, instead of tossing old papers into the recycling bin. A Spokane County detective showed us how an Internet search can provide useful information for a potential ID thief, starting with just a name. The detective turned up plenty of information on me, including my address and relatives' names. Yikes. It's a good reminder to shred, shred, shred. Plus, you're not supposed to put old bills in the blue bins, anyways. It says so on the Spokane Solid Waste website, in big letters: NO JUNK MAIL OR OFFICE PAPER. For more on what you can and can't recycle, go here:
http://www.spokanecitysolidwaste.com/spokanecitysolidwaste/sub.aspx?id=4701
I admit, I'm guilty of pitching things I shouldn't. I'd better stop writing, and get shredding!
-Dawn