Shredding your documents is a one way to protect yourself from identity theft and other forms of fraud. Shred pre-approved credit card offers, tax records, employment records, old bills, out-of-date account statements and other personal documents that include confidential information.
Several organizations regularly hold free paper shredding events in Charlotte and surrounding communities. The events often happen in April and November, but can take place at any time.
We will be regularly updating this page with free paper shredding events in the Charlotte region.
If you know of one that should be listed, please let us know at info@charlotteonthecheap.com and we will add it, time permitting. Read on for a little bit of information about buying your own shredder, and then a list of upcoming shredding events.

Buying a Shredder
Thinking of buying your own shredder? There are several kinds of paper shredders, and it’s important to know the differences between them, so that you can make the best choice for your privacy and security.
Strip-cut shredder: These cut papers into long strips. A standard size paper is typically cut into about 39 strips. They’re fine for shredding junk mail, but are not great for confidential materials, because the strips might still contain readable information. Also known as ribbon-cut, spaghetti-cut, or straight-cut shredders.
Cross-cut shredder: These cut paper diagonally from both directions. A standard size paper is typically cut into 400 pieces, offering more security than a strip-cut shredder. Cross-cut shredders are the most popular kind of shredders. Also known as a confetti-cut shredder.
Micro-cut shredder: These are the most secure, but are generally slower and more expensive than cross-cut or strip-cut shredders. They cut a standard size paper into 2,000 particles, making it impossible to read any data from the document.
Other features to consider:
- Auto-feed shredder: Load a large quantity of paper at one time, so you don’t have to feed paper one sheet at a time.
- CD shredding: Some shredders have a slot for shredding CDs, DVDs and credit cards.
- Continuous duty paper shredders: Most shredders can shred for a certain amount of time (15-30 minutes) before needing time to cool down. Make sure to check for that in the specifications. A continuous duty shredder doesn’t need a cool down break.
- Waste baskets. Most shredders come with a wastebasket. A pull-out waste basket is more convenient than the lift-off head. You can also put shredder bags inside the bin to make emptying easier.
Free paper shredding events around Charlotte
Mecklenburg County Solid Waste
Free paper shredding is frequently offered by Mecklenburg County Solid Waste. The events are held the 3rd Saturday of the month in March, April, May, June, September, October and November. You need to reserve a time slot between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. More info on the events here.
Gastonia
The City of Gastonia is holding Shred Days on Saturday, April 23rd, 2022, and Saturday, November 12th, 2022. They’ll take place from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Gastonia Farmers’ Market, 410 E. Long Avenue, Gastonia. More info.
Rock Hill, SC
We will update when we learn about future shred events in Rock Hill.
Shred360 event in Charlotte
We will update when learn about future shred events with Shred360.
Mint Hill
We will update when we learn about future shred events in Mint Hill.
Cornelius
We will update when learn about future shred events in Cornelius.
Davidson
We will update when we learn about future shred events in Davidson.
Kings Mountain, NC
We will update when we learn about future shred events in Kings Mountain, NC.
China Grove
We will update when we learn about future shred events in China Grove.
Ballantyne
We will update when we learn about future shred events in Ballantyne.
Stallings
We will update when we learn about future shred events in Concord.
Concord
We will update when we learn about future shred events in Concord.
Mount Pleasant
We will update when we learn about future shred events in Mount Pleasant, NC.
Matthews
We will update when we learn about future shred events in Matthews.
Indian Trail
We will update when we learn about future shred events in Indian Trail.
City of Kannapolis
We will update when we learn about future shred events from The City of Kannapolis.
Mooresville
We will update when we learn about future shred events in Mooresville.
Double-Check Before You Head Out!
We make every effort to make sure that everything on Charlotte on the Cheap is 100% accurate.
However, sometimes things change without notice, and we are not always notified. It's also possible that we can make a mistake.
Please verify all deals and events with the venue or organizer before you go.
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Upcoming Events in the Charlotte area
Check out our full events calendar, where you can enter any date, or look at the events for the next few days here:Sunday, June 26, 2022
Monday, June 27, 2022
Tuesday, June 28, 2022
Family Trust Federal Credit Union, White Street, Rock Hill
225 W White Street
Rock Hill, SC