CINCINNATI — With identity theft on the rise, it's more important than ever to make sure you are safely disposing of documents that could leave you vulnerable. The Furniture Fair WCPO 9 Shred Day is the perfect option to protect yourself.
The free event takes place on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at five Furniture Fair Cincinnati locations:
- 5744 Harrison Ave. in Cincinnati
- 9591 Fields Ertel Road in Loveland
- 7200 Dixie Highway (Route 4) in Fairfield
- 3710 Alexandria Pike in Cold Spring, Ky.
- 4363 Eastgate Square Drive in Eastgate
There is a limit of four bags or boxes per vehicle. To keep the line moving, please keep these guidelines in mind:
- Place all paper in your trunk or back hatch.
- Remain in your car at all times, put your car in park and unlock your trunk.
- You will be able to drop prescription medication into a receptacle from your vehicle window.
- Please be generous and drop your donations into the receptacle marked "Donations.”
What you can shred: All paper, rubber bands, paper clips, staples, notebooks, file folders, alligator clips, blueprints.
What you cannot shred: Batteries, metal items, hard drives, computers, electronics, plastic bottles, glass, perishable items, food, liquids.
You can also dispose of unwanted and expired medications at the Shred Day event. Over-the-counter medications and prescription pills will be accepted for an environmentally safe destruction. But liquids, ointments, needles, pens, gels and creams cannot be accepted.
What's safe to shred?
The Federal Trade Commission's website lists documents it states are safe to shred:
- ATM receipts
- Credit or insurance offers
- Cleared checks (after 14 days)
- Credit reports
- Prescription information for medication you no longer take
- Expired warranties
- Expired credit cards, driver's licenses and other forms of identification.
When is it safe to shred important documents?
The Federal Trade Commission recommends that while some documents are considered safe to destroy after a year, others should be kept longer, and in some cases, indefinitely.
The FTC suggests keeping bank statements, pay stubs, undisputed medical bills, credit card and utility bills and deposited checks for at least a year. As long as you can access these documents electronically, you can consider shredding paper copies.
But it says you should keep income tax returns, along with tax-related documents like canceled checks, receipts, W-2 forms and 1099 forms; and records related to selling a home for at least three years.
On top of that, the Internal Revenue Service says there are circumstances in which you should keep tax returns and tax-related documents for even longer.
There are some documents the FTC says should be kept indefinitely. You should retain documents like your vehicle title, the title or deed to your home, documents related to your mortgage or vehicle loans, home improvement receipts, rental agreements and leases, and sales receipts and warranty information for major appliances for as long as you own them.
You should always keep birth certificates, adoption papers, Social Security cards, valid passports, citizenship or residency papers, marriage licenses and divorce decrees, military records, wills, living wills, powers of attorney, retirement and pension plan information, family member death certificates and vital health records. The FTC urges that you keep them locked in a safe place.
Event raising money for Crime Stoppers
Donations for the Shred Day 2026 event will benefit Greater Cincinnati Crime Stoppers by helping fund rewards that can get wanted criminals off the street.
In addition to Furniture Fair and Greater Cincinnati Crime Stoppers, the Shred Day 2026 event is also made possible with support from Walgreens, Royal Document Destruction and Shred-It.
