ENGLEWOOD, N.J.—On Sept. 21, a huge 1-ton capacity truck stood in the parking lot of the NVE bank in Englewood.
Englewood residents and bank employees dumped thousands of papers, files and documents into a container that was then hoisted up into the vehicle where they were shredded. From there, the contents will be brought to a shredding facility in the Oranges, a pulping mill, and eventually they will be recycled into a variety of reusable products.
The large grey container was emptied and refilled every time it reached its 300-pound capacity and there was a steady lineup of people ready to cast their printed refuse.
Decluttering was the key focus of NVE Bank’s “Fresh Start Fall Festival” which took place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Over a dozen NVE Bank staff members participated in the “Meet and Greet” event to encourage people to organize their homes and offices and learn about the bank’s products and services.
Bright green tents were set up around the parking lot and there were several tables with displays offering free giveaways.
Rob Rey, president of the NVE Bank, was delighted at the large turnout.
“We do community outreach programs throughout the year, but this is the first time that we’ve had a shredding event,” he said. “Destroying unwanted papers, particularly financial documents, is extremely important for people’s safety and privacy. At NVE Bank, we have a ‘clean desk policy,’ meaning we diligently ensure that none of our customers’ records or identities are accessible to anyone. In both paper and digital formats, we have multiple layers of protection. We shred documents continuously and we use a professional shredding company every week.”
At a table on the other side of the parking lot, Cassidy Nasello, a featured speaker at the event, dispensed advice about decluttering, based on the bestselling book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” written by Marie Kondo, the star of the Netflix series “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo.”
“Fall is the time to push the reset button,” said Nasello, a home organizing consultant who helps people using Kondo’s KonMari Method. “Through the tidying process, clients gain a clearer sense of their values and ultimately a new outlook on what matters in life.”
Another benefit of decluttering is that people find important items, such as stocks and bonds, gift certificates and even money,” said.
Nasello advised that organizing should be de done by category, not location.
“Items should be sorted into three bins: things to be shredded, recycled or kept,” Nasello said.
At another exhibit, Englewood Deputy Police Chief Gregory Halstead gave out small metal police badges and brochures about safety and positive interaction with law enforcement. Halstead also emphasized the importance of shredding.
“If you have sensitive material, it’s not enough to just throw it into a garbage can, because dumpster diving theft is on the uptake,” Halstead said. “At the police department, we get a lot of calls about stolen documents. We are even reconfiguring mailboxes so that items cannot be removed illegally. So, shredding is important.”
Besides shredding and safety tips, the fest had many other perks. NVE Bank staff members served grilled franks, burgers, and cheeseburgers and there were trays of donuts. A DJ playing upbeat music had a large following of fans dancing and singing along.
NVE Bank’s Fresh Start Fall Fest was an informative as well as tasty way to greet the fall season!
