Hillsborough County Consumer & Veterans Services is hosting ShredFest 2025 to help you declutter and protect your identity, especially during tax season when paper and digital clutter piles up. ShredFest offers a golden opportunity to safely dispose of your old electronics and sensitive paper records, and it's all going down on Saturday, March 1st, from 9 to 11 a.m. at Veterans Memorial Park according to the official Hillsborough County website.

At this community event, locals can shred up to three boxes or kitchen-sized bags of paper per vehicle. The IRS will also provide guidelines on how long to keep tax records, helping you decide what to keep or toss. In addition to tax records, you can shred old bank documents, bills, receipts, expired insurance policies, and junk mail. Just remember to remove all batteries, cords, binders, and trash from the paper before shredding.

ShredFest also offers free e-shredding, allowing you to securely dispose of old electronics that could be a target for identity thieves. In today’s digital age, cyber identity theft is an unseen threat that can still affect us. For a full list of accepted items, from cellphones to laptops, head over to the Hillsborough County announcement page and remember, before you drop off your electronics, outcome the batteries.

While waiting in the drive-thru, you can stay comfy in your car as you drop off your items. If you have questions, consumer protection experts will be on hand to offer guidance and share tips on protecting your identity. These professionals are there to help keep your personal information safe in an age where it’s as valuable as money. The event is first-come, first-served, and only for individuals—no commercial shredding allowed. It's also part of National Consumer Protection Week.

Hillsborough County is embracing National Consumer Protection Week with purpose. For more info on ShredFest 2025 or any questions, call (813) 635-8316 or swing by HCFL.Gov/Consumer.