Declutter Day
Declutter day is an opportunity to safely dispose of household items that contain personal information. You can never be too safe with your personal information. Documents, electronics, and medication prescription bottles can all contain personal information that can be used to defraud. And while you're safely disposing of those items, we have ways for you to clean out the closet a little too.
Friday, April 17, 2026 @ 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM
595 Guardsman Way
Salt Lake City, UT 84108
595 Guardsman Way
Salt Lake City, UT 84108
Free to the Public! (No Businesses Please)
Medication Disposal
Poisonings, misuse and abuse often occur when people store old medications in their homes. The presence of these items makes them accessible to young children who may be poisoned by them. Older children and teens may abuse these products or experiment with them for non-medical reasons. Adults and the elderly may save medications, such as antibiotics, for use at a later date. This is called misuse and may lead to an antibiotic resistance as well as a delay in treatment of a condition that may be harmful.
- Needles & Sharps (this includes expired Epinephrine pens)
- Thermometers (mercury)
- Oxygen Containers
- Chemotherapy/Radioactive Substances
- Pressurized Cannisters
Outdated or unusable drugs that are disposed of by flushing or pouring down a sink enter the environment because wastewater treatment facilities are not designed to remove them. Studies have shown that pharmaceuticals and over-the-counter drugs are present in our nation's water bodies and certain drugs may cause ecological harm. Bringing medications to events like these can prevent all of this!
Medications may be legally disposed of by bringing them to a local law enforcement agency. Be sure to call the agency to verify acceptance times.
Shred
"Dumpster diving," or rifling through trash cans for personal information, is a tactic used by identity thieves. You are taking a terrible risk if you don't shred sensitive material.
In short, destroy all sensitive information including junk mail and paperwork that includes:
- Account numbers
- Birth dates
- Passwords and PINs
- Signatures
- Social Security numbers
- Names
- Addresses
- Phone numbers
- E-mail addresses
We cannot shred:
- Spiral notebooks
- Cardboard
- Telephone books
- Hardcover books
- CDs & DVDs
- Three-ring binders
- Lever-arch binders
- Hanging folders
- Transparencies
- Large bulldog clips
When sorting through dusty file boxes or the pile of papers on your desk, it's easy to become confused as to which records you need to keep and those you should shred. Here are some guidelines to help you determine how long to keep records:
- Tax Records: Seven years, to be safe. The IRS has three years to audit your return if the agency suspects you made a mistake and up to six years if you likely underreported your gross income by 25 percent or more. If you failed to file a return for any year, keep records indefinitely.
- Pay Stubs: One year. Match them up to your W2 form, then shred.
- Bank Statements: One year. But hold onto records related to your taxes, business expenses, home improvements, mortgage payments and major purchases for as long as you need them. Many financial institutions now provide the option to receive your bank and credit statements online instead of by mail.
- Credit Card Statements: At least 45 days. The rules here are similar to those for bank statements; hang on to those you may need for your taxes or as proof of purchase. Shred the rest after you've confirmed payment.
- Medical Records: At least a year, but often longer. Keep medical bills for at least a year in case of a dispute over a reimbursement. Some experts suggest keeping other records for five years from the time treatment for the symptoms ended. Hang on to information about prescription information, specific medical histories, health insurance information and contact information for your physician.
- Insurance Records: Keep policy information for the life of the policy plus an additional five years. Additional records such as statements, hospital bills, car repair bills, copies of prescriptions, etc. should be kept up to five years from the date the service was provided.
- Utility and phone bills: Shred them after you've paid them, unless they contain tax-deductible expenses.
- IRA Contributions: Until you withdraw the money. You can shred quarterly statements as soon as you match them with your yearly statement.
- Home Purchase/Sale/Improvements: Until six years after you sell. Improvements you make and expenses such as your real estate agent's commission are factored in when you sell your home, lowering your capital gains tax.
- Warranties: As long as they are current. Expired warranties can be recycled, unless they contain personal information.
- Address labels from junk mail and magazines
- ATM receipts
- Bank statements
- Birth certificate copies
- Canceled and voided checks
- Credit and charge card bills, carbon copies, summaries and receipts
- Credit reports and histories
- Employee pay stubs
- Employment records
- Expired credit and identification cards including driver's licenses, college IDs, military IDs, employee badges, medical insurance cards, etc. (If your shredder can't handle plastic, cut up cards with a scissors before discarding them.)
- Expired passports and visas
- Legal documents
- Insurance documents
- Investment, stock and property transactions
- Luggage tags
- Medical and dental records
- Papers with a Social Security number
- Pre-approved credit card applications
- Receipts with checking account numbers
- Report cards
- Resumés or curriculum vitae
- Signatures (such as those found on leases, contracts, letters)
- Tax forms
- Transcripts
- Travel itineraries
- Used airline tickets
- Utility bills (telephone, gas, electric, water, cable TV, Internet)
Recycle
- All Computers & Laptops including parts & pieces
- Monitors / Televisions / Projectors
- Docking Stations / Drives / Modems
- Keyboards / Computer mouse / Typewriters
- Cell Phones / Telephones / Palm Pilots / Blackberrys
- VCRs / DVD players / Blu-ray players
- Printers / Scanners / Copy Machines
- Stereos / Speakers / Audio Equipment
- Servers / Routers / Hubs / Networking Devices
- Batteries / Uninterruptable Power Supplies (UPS)
- PDA Handheld Games / Microwaves
- Pressurized containers or compressed gas cylinders
- Any hazardous waste: "yellow bag" waste
- Liquids of any kind: antifreeze, oil, gasoline, pesticides, etc.
- Odorous materials
- Sharps: needles, syringes with needles, other sharp objects
- Poisons, including pesticides or herbicides, or contaminated materials
- Pharmaceuticals of any kind
- Biohazards: "red bag" waste or anything that has come into contact with human or animal body fluids
- Radioactive materials or waste
- Flammable, explosive, or spontaneously combustible materials: solvent-soaked or oily rags, propane, fireworks, linseed oil, gunpowder, ammunition
- Paint, adhesives, caulk, solvents, thinners
- Appliances: refrigerators, washers, dryers, ovens, etc.
Donate
All types and in any condition of:
- Women's, men's, and children's clothing and shoes
- Hats, mittens, scarves, ties, nylons, socks, underwear
- Purses, wallets, backpacks, bags
- Towels, sheets blankets, throw pillows, curtains, tablecloths
- Hardback
- Paperback
- Magazines
- Records
- Tapes
- CDs
- Videos
- DVDs
- Computer software
- Mugs, pots, pans, dishes, cutlery, glassware, silverware, stemware, utensils, vases, china cups
- Toys, games, puzzles, stuffed animals
- Pictures/frames, candles, crafts, baskets, ornaments
- Small garden tools, hand tools, power tools
- Toasters, radios, irons, blenders, mixers, small stereos, CD players
- Sofas, couches, loveseats, recliners, foot stools, all types of chairs and tables
- Dressers, hutches, armoires, bookcases, cabinets, entertainment centers
- Headboards, footboards, bed frames
- Stereos, speakers, DVD & VCR players
- Bicycles, golf equipment, garden tools, all types of lamps
- Sports equipment, exercise equipment, skis, humidifiers
- Weapons or explosives
- Hazardous waste, batteries, paints, chemicals, cleaning products, poisons
- Construction materials, wood, pipes, doors, tubs, cabinets
- Flammable products, gas cans, propane containers, barbecues, gas lawn mowers, gas trimmers
- Large appliances, refrigerators, stoves, washing machines, dryers, heaters
- Automobile parts, tires, mufflers, fenders
- Damaged furniture in need of repair, carpet if torn/soiled or wall to wall
- Mattresses, hide-a-beds, box springs, water beds, coil springs, bed pillows
- Televisions, computer monitors, computers, large console televisions, damaged or disassembled televisions or stereos
- Car seats, swing sets, cribs, food, pets
- Newspapers
2026 Declutter Day Partners
