The City of Allentown Bureau of Recycling & Solid Waste is now offering paper shredding services to city residents.

By Appointment Only

Every Third Wednesday

 8:00am-12:00pm (weather permitting)

Every Third Saturday

April through November 8:00am-11:00am

  Residents and businesses must call 610-437-8729 to make an appointment.

It is important to shred paper only! Staples are permitted, but paper clips, binder clips, plastic folders, three ring binders, etc. are not allowed. Items containing any of those banned items will be rejected.

Manilla folders, hanging folders, magazines, flyers, brochures and general documents are among those paper items that do not have to be shredded.

Paper shredded at the city’s site is transported to Newman Paper Company in Philadelphia where it is recycled into paperboard and boxes.

The city will continue to maintain the locked roll-off container at the Drop-off Center on MLK Drive. Residents may still ask the attendant to lock up their confidential documents. The one difference is that instead of loose paper inside the container being hauled to Newman, the city will have carts lined up inside the locked container. The carts will be brought to the shredder by Recycling staff, utilizing a newly purchased hydraulic cart tipper, and shred the material.