- March 25, 2026
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The music began, tires began rolling, and recycling was underway.
Ultimately, this year's Shred Stock, held March 21, welcomed 252 vehicles.
That was above last year's turnout, which was about 170 according to Nick Dazio, records and information management general manager with the city of Sarasota.
According to 2016 information from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), recycling one ton of paper saves the equivalent of 17 trees. Based on that figure, with five tons of paper collected at Shred Stock, about 85 trees were saved.
Yet this version of the event also involved the addition of electronics recycling, with six pallets, equal to 3,364 pounds, of materials collected.
Dazio says the event, which is hosted by the Records and Information Management Division in the Office of the City Auditor and Clerk, in partnership with The Bay, ensures citizens of Sarasota are kept aware of the need to protect themselves from identity theft and fraud.
Dazio notes that while participants' documents are shredded on-site by A1 Shredding & Recycling, they can pull over to watch the boxes be destroyed.
He says participants can bring everything from tax documents to old school records or social security statements, as opposed to discarding them in a landfill where they could end up in the wrong hands.
Meanwhile, Rocycle, which recycled the electronics free of charge for the city, certifies the destruction of each item, so that the former owners know that information has been erased and the materials destroyed properly.
"It's just an effort to make sure that they have a one-stop shop for everything, to protect themselves from fraud and identity theft, and on top of it all, reduce the amount of paper that the city's collecting, and hopefully change their habits at home and maybe do things more electronic," Dazio said.
Like other attendees, Holly Mosby wanted to leave with a car that was a little lighter.
"I have a closet filled with old business documents that I've never known what to do with, so when I saw the city was giving us the opportunity to have free shredding, which is quite expensive, because it's quite heavy, I thought I'd come out and see if they could take some of this off my hands," she said.
Dazio said the decision to add electronics recycling came after he received feedback on the previous events, with members of the public asking if there were plans to offer it after having seen it elsewhere.
He said it became a popular demand, and as the event was underway, he noted the service had been busy for the entirety of the time.
"With your electronic devices, does everybody know how to delete thoroughly through a laptop? Not everybody does," he said.
He said for many people, it makes more sense to bring the devices to a location where they can be properly recycled. He notes Rocycle will send components through a demagnetizer, removing all information, while recycling any components of value.
Dazio said that tempers can "get a little hot" as people wait in line, and that's why The Garbage-Men band helped keep everyone entertained.
"They obviously have commitments as well, but they love playing here, and I think they're a big draw because I hear from a lot of the citizens that they love The Garbage-Men, and they come here so they can roll their windows down and listen to them while they wait," he said.
At least one attendee accomplished more than she had intended that day.
Carol Wolfe came out to shred documents, but found a bonus opportunity when she was surprised by the amenities in the location, which includes The Bay park, the Van Wezel Perfoming Arts Hall and the Sarasota Garden Club.
"I didn't know this was all back here," she said. "I'm pretty new to moving here, two years, but I need to explore this more, so that was a good trigger," she said.
