Free paper shredding events in Twin Cities area through May

Tax and purge. If doing taxes has produced a pile of sensitive documents too "taxing" for a home shredder, try one of the free events going on now or coming up in May.

Office Depot/Office Max is offering an online coupon to get up to 2 pounds of paper shredded free through April 25 in stores. Two pounds is about one-third of a grocery sack.

Several local companies offer freebie shredding:

Pioneer Secure Shred (155 Irving Av. N., Minneapolis, 612-381-2199) offers free shredding of up to 25 boxes of paper (banker's box sized) on the first Friday of every month (May - Oct) from 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. The next free shredding event will be May 1. If you can't wait until then, you can pay Pioneer. A banker's box of paper costs $3 each with a $25 minimum. In other words, you can bring up to 8 banker's boxes of paper to shred for $25.

Shred Right (651-621-1862) will offer free shredding events (up to 3 banker's boxes or grocery sacks) open to the public from 9 a.m. - noon on Sat. May 16 at the following U.S. Federal Credit Union locations:

2772 East 82^nd Street, Bloomington, 55425

1400 Riverwood Drive, Burnsville, 55337

7644 160^th Street, Lakeville, 55044

4290 Dean Lakes Blvd, Shakopee, 55379

Shred Right will also be at the following locations in May:

Roseville: Community Resource Bank, 1501 W. County Rd. C from 9 a.m. to noon Sat. May 2

Stillwater: Lily Lake Ice Arena, 1208 S. Greeley St., 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Sat. May 16