Preparing My Computer For Recycling

Do I have to erase all the information on my hard drive before recycling?

You don't have to delete or erase all the information on your hard drive. My recommendation would be to request and require your recycler to destroy your hard drive by shredding it and giving you an assured destruction certificate for your own files. Don't let your recycler off the hook. Ask them to shred it and give you proof of the destruction. That's the best way to make sure all your private information goes away forever.

What is a 'Certificate of Destruction'?

A "Certificate of Destruction" is a piece of paper that proves that we destroyed your hard drive and it can no longer be used as a hard drive again. It usually will be shred, and smelted, and go back to be re-used by the OEMs, the original equipment manufacturers, into future materials and future electronics. But it will never be used as the same hard drive that you used, and your information can never be accessed, which is absolutely critical to the process. You'll be safe, only if you get destruction of your hard drive and that assured destruction certificate in your hands.

What are US Department of Defense erasure standards?

Homeland Security and the US Department of Defense require absolute destruction of all of their materials, which means not only are all of the materials de-manufactured, their hard drives are all shredded. That's the highest and best form of recycling to make sure that our national secrets never get into the hands of any wrong people. It's absolutely critical to adhere to the national defense standards and the Homeland Security standards, which require de-manufacturing and shredding of their hard drives.

How long does it take to recycle my e-waste?

Depending on what type of electronic waste you have, it will depend how long it takes. A television, and an old television that weighs 150 pounds is different than a cell phone that we shred. But everything is recyclable, and we try to do it in the fastest, most efficient way possible.

What methods are used to track equipment through the e-waste recycling process?

We use a propriety tracking method, a bar code tracking method that we created ourselves. It's a cradle-to-grave tracking methodology. When the e-waste comes in, we bar code it, we weigh it, and we follow it through the entire process in our facility until it's broken down into its bare commodities and sold for future reuse.