Data Security and Sustainability: A Cohesive Partnership

Now more than ever, security precautions and sustainable solutions are top-of-mind for many consumers and businesses. With the increase in cyberattacks and data breaches, combined with the dire need to create less e-waste, it’s critical that end-of-life electronics are disposed of with data security and environmental stewardship in mind.

In 2017, Americans spent over $70 billion on telephone and communication equipment. When we purchase something new, we dispose of what’s old. That cycle of consumer purchasing has made electronics the world’s fastest-growing solid waste stream. Unfortunately, this creates a never-ending demand for building new products to then ultimately throw them away.

According to a United Nations estimate, in 2019 only 17.4 percent of the world’s electronic waste was recycled, with the rest ending up in landfills. As an environmental hazard, e-waste contains harmful materials that are also damaging to our health. For instance, mercury—found in monitors and fluorescent lighting—can affect the human brain and/or coordination system when disposed of improperly. When electronics are mishandled during disposal, these chemicals end up in our soil, water, and air. Many of these chemicals also produced pollutants when they were originally mined. Recycling them would generate significantly less pollution and use less energy than mining and processing new raw materials.

With the amount of e-waste accumulating across the globe, it’s important to ensure that both environmental sustainability and data security are considered when disposing computers, handheld devices, home entertainment systems, and medical equipment. Many believe that recycling their electronics jeopardizes the security of their data and that destroying data means the materials cannot be recycled. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

When it comes to the disposal of your electronics, you shouldn’t have to choose between data security and protecting the environment. At Sadoff, we take both seriously and pride ourselves on partnering with individuals to protect their identity and their company’s confidentiality, while remaining environmentally responsible.

How we securely destroy data

When it’s time to upgrade your technology, don’t unplug the old equipment and store it somewhere else. Obsolete equipment poses data security risks even when it’s not in use.

Simply clicking “delete” or reformatting your data storage device won’t protect you and your company’s sensitive information. The data needs to be destroyed completely. To ensure your assets are protected, we use the most advanced techniques, equipment, and processes including shredding and data destruction, valuing your security at every checkpoint.

How we sustainably recycle e-waste

Rather than exporting, stockpiling, or shipping e-waste to a landfill, responsible e-recyclers dispose of it properly and strive to recover maximum value from most assets—not just from assets that will create a profit for the recycler. An ethical e-recycler uses on-site equipment to shred, sort, and separate electronic materials and will sell materials back into the supply chain for reuse.

With old or obsolete electronics such as TVs, monitors, cell phones, AV equipment, tablets, game consoles, and printers, proper recycling is a necessity. E-recycling helps the environment, creates energy savings, and boosts your bottom line. When done properly, it ensures the security of confidential data—protecting you, your employees, and your customers.

Our combined efforts

So how do we exactly incorporate sustainability and secure data destruction into our e-recycling efforts? Here’s the standard process:

1. Collection – Your e-waste can either be picked up by the Sadoff team, dropped off at any of our recycling centers, or we’ll help host a community collection event.
2. Processing – We log materials into our tracking system and execute your preferred data destruction service and secure the data either at your location or our ISO-compliant location.
3. Sorting & Weighing – E-waste is sorted by type and we weigh each commodity.
4. Dismantling – We separate materials for recovery and reuse; reducing greenhouse gas emissions and saving energy.
5. Data Destruction – We offer two levels for secure, reliable data destruction.
   1. Drive Destruction – Shredding. the physical destruction of both magnetic and solid-state drives (100% effective).
   2. Data Destruction – Wiping. Using NIST800-88r1/DOD 5520.22 certified software to destroy the data on the drive, making it unrecoverable. This allows the drive to be recycled and reused.
6. Recycling – We sell materials back into the supply chain; avoiding landfill disposal, helping build new products, and maintaining a sustainable, energy-efficient process.
7. Certification – Certificates of destruction are available upon request.

Innovative technology, combined with our understanding of how important sustainability and safe data destruction are, allows Sadoff to provide the very best for you and your business.

At Sadoff E-Recycling and Data Destruction, we offer a choice of two levels of data destruction and confirmation. Trusting us to handle the disposal of your data storage devices means you won’t have to worry about your vital electronic information falling into the wrong hands.

To learn how we can help your organization permanently destroy sensitive, obsolete data, while remaining environmentally friendly, contact us today.

Categorized in: Data Security, Electronics Recycling, IT Equipment