Fall Spruce Up Can Include Getting Your Documents Shredded for Free!

AARP New Mexico will host its Fall document shredding events in Santa Fe and Las Cruces on Saturday, Oct. 25. See below on how to register. It’s also Drug Take Back Day.

As part of Drug Take Back Day, the New Mexico Department of Justice will be on-site at the Santa Fe shredding event so people can safely dispose of their expired medications at the same time they get their sensitive documents shredded.

“Protecting your sensitive personal information is still a crucial way to stop identity thieves and ensure that information does not fall into the wrong hands,” said Gary Williams, AARP New Mexico Associate State Director for Community Outreach.”

“AARP is proud to, once again, join forces with the New Mexico Department of Justice so this event can serve dual purposes,” Williams said.

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, said, "The AARP Shred Day and DEA Drug Take Back Day initiatives work to protect our communities by securely disposing of sensitive documents and unwanted prescription medications, which is why the New Mexico Department of Justice is committed to this partnership with AARP.”

“We are grateful for the efforts and hard work of everyone involved. At our last event, we collected over 130 pounds of unused medications -

medications that may not have been properly disposed of without this essential effort. We are looking forward to the next event to continue this sweeping positive impact in our communities," Torrez said.

Santa Fe

The Santa Fe event will be held Saturday, Oct. 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for both document shredding and prescription drug disposal. It will be at the Santa Fe Place Mall, on the south side, near the Regal Movie Theater parking lot. Please follow the signs and traffic cones.

Register at: https://events.aarp.org/SantaFeShredEvent

For shredding, participants are limited to two bankers’ boxes of materials or garbage bags. The event runs on a first-come, first-served basis until 2 p.m. or until the trucks are full.

For prescription drug disposal, syringes, sharps or illicit drugs will not be accepted. Liquid medicines, such as cough syrup, should remain in their original container tightly sealed.

Las Cruces

The Las Cruces shred event will also take place Saturday, Oct. 25, at Wal-Mart, 571 Walton Blvd, 88001, but from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. only.

Register at: https://events.aarp.org/LasCrucesShreddingEvent2025

The same rules apply—participants are limited to two bankers’ boxes of materials or two small garbage bags. The event runs on a first-come, first-served basis until 12 p.m. unless the trucks fill up sooner.

For more information, reach out to Gary Williams at gdwiliams@aarp.org