New Ward Clerk - cleaning out the clerk's office

Apologies in advance if this has been discussed elsewhere.

I was called late last year, and I'm settling into my role, but not my office in the building! We have a considerable number of manuals and materials from years past that are currently collecting dust - such as Come Follow Me manuals, mormon.org pass along cards, etc. Short of leaving a pile in the foyer with a "Free" sign, is there any method of disposal I should be following?

My memory isn't perfect these days, but I don't recall seeing this topic discussed before. Just a Sunday or two ago, there was a "free" table in the foyer at the meetinghouse where I attend. The sign also gave a date when the items would be donated. If there's a DI in your vicinity, you could call them to ask whether they would want the CFMs and other substantial items.

rmrichesjr wrote: Wed Jan 21, 2026 9:36 pm My memory isn't perfect these days, but I don't recall seeing this topic discussed before. Just a Sunday or two ago, there was a "free" table in the foyer at the meetinghouse where I attend. The sign also gave a date when the items would be donated. If there's a DI in your vicinity, you could call them to ask whether they would want the CFMs and other substantial items.

Thank you!

There's been forum discussion about confidential documents that are stored for many years past the legal requirement (for instance here), but for non-confidential items there's no Church policy. But being good stewards, finding a community recycling option (sometimes they're labeled dumpster bins in store parking lots), would be ideal.

I'm thankful to have found this question, as I have the same concern. In my area there is NO recycling program.

I'm posting to suggest that perhaps the church (perhaps on a coordinating council level) could publish the addresses of recycling centers where paper -- softbound manuals in particular -- can be recycled.

What would be even more helpful would be to assign a regular DI pod drop for each stake where a locked pod could be filled with obsolete paper church materials (unlocked by the stake and filled by ward clerks) then carted off for recycling. The weight of the load have to be monitored. This could be an on-demand service or allotted to wards needing the service, as determined by the stake.

Keep clerk's offices and meetinghouse resource centers clean and uncluttered! "My house is a house of order. "