SOUTH POINT — The rain might have kept some people away, but the first ever Lawrence-Scioto Solid Waste Management District’s shredding day Saturday is being deemed a success that will make a return engagement next year.

The event, sponsored by the solid waste district and Shred Devil, of Wheelersburg, allowed people to bring unwanted documents and personal papers and have them shredded, free of charge.

Director Dan Palmer said the event in the parking lot of the Greater Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce, netted 4,500 pounds of paper from 47 participants. He is pleased with the turnout.

“It was 38 degrees Saturday but everyone who came through told they hope we’ll do this again,” Palmer said. “And we will, probably in the spring or early summer.”

Palmer said they left the door to the shredding machine open so people could see their documents being shredded. Unlike some shredders, Shred Devil’s machinery cuts the paper into confetti-sized pieces.

“We had one guy bring in military records of his from 1968,” Palmer said. “We has a retired businessman who brought in records from I don’t know how far back. We tried this to see if it would go over well and it did.” Palmer pointed out that shredding documents keeps personal information from getting into the wrong hands and being used in identity theft schemes, an all-too-common crime these days.