Data destruction & sanitization
Certified data destruction, and we pay you for the hardware
Every retired device is sanitized to NIST 800-88 Purge, verified, and documented with a signed Certificate of Data Erasure per asset. Media that can't be verified is physically destroyed and logged. Then, unlike a shredding vendor, we pay you for whatever still holds value.
The three NIST 800-88 levels, and which one you actually need
| Level | What it does | Asset value |
|---|---|---|
| Clear | Overwrite; defeats simple recovery tools | Retained |
| Purge ✓ | Crypto-erase / block erase / firmware sanitize, defeats laboratory recovery | Retained, you get paid |
| Destroy | Shred / degauss, media physically ruined | Destroyed, you pay a fee |
Destruction-only vendors default everything to Destroy and bill you per drive. We default to Purge, the same protection against real-world recovery, and destroy only what fails verification. Same security posture, opposite cash flow.
What you receive
- • Certificate of Data Erasure per asset, device, serial/IMEI, method, standard, result, timestamp.
- • Chain of custody from collection through settlement.
- • Per-device settlement report so finance reconciles the lot line by line.
- • IMEI/serial screening at intake, locks and blacklist status flagged before processing.
- • One payout per batch, same day inspection completes.
Why a factory reset isn\u2019t data destruction
The 90-second version: what ITAD actually involves, where NIST 800-88 Purge fits, and why the certificate is per device rather than per pallet.
Prefer to read? Full transcript and takeaways →
Tell us what needs wiping
Send your device list and rough quantities. We'll come back with a valuation, the erasure standard we'll apply, and your certificate package. Free freight, or free pickup if you're in DFW.
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Data destruction: FAQs
What is NIST 800-88?+
NIST Special Publication 800-88 ("Guidelines for Media Sanitization") is the US standard for making data unrecoverable. It defines three levels: Clear (overwrite, defeats simple recovery), Purge (defeats laboratory recovery, cryptographic erase, block erase, or firmware sanitize), and Destroy (physical destruction). We sanitize to the Purge level and physically destroy media that can't be verified.
What's the difference between data sanitization, erasure and destruction?+
Sanitization is the umbrella term. Erasure (software) overwrites or cryptographically wipes the media so the drive stays usable and keeps its resale value. Destruction (shredding/degaussing) physically ruins the media, total, but it also destroys the asset's value. We erase whatever can be verified and destroy only what can't, so you keep the maximum payout without weakening the guarantee.
Is a factory reset enough?+
No, and this is the most common and most expensive mistake. A factory reset removes pointers to data, not always the data itself, and on many Android and older drives it leaves recoverable content behind. It also produces no evidence. If you're ever asked to prove a device was sanitized, a reset gives you nothing to show. A NIST 800-88 Purge plus a certificate does.
Do we get proof for our auditors?+
Yes. Every asset gets a signed Certificate of Data Erasure recording the device, serial/IMEI, method, standard, result and timestamp, plus chain-of-custody documentation from collection to settlement. That's the artifact your auditor, insurer or customer actually asks for.
What about hard drive destruction specifically?+
Drives that fail verification, won't respond to a sanitize command, or are dead get physically destroyed, and the destruction is logged on the same certificate. Working drives are sanitized to Purge instead so they retain value, you get paid rather than paying a shredding fee.
How much does it cost?+
For anything with residual value, nothing, it's included, and you receive a payment rather than an invoice. That's the difference between us and a destruction-only vendor: they charge per drive, we recover the hardware's value first and pay you the balance.
Which devices do you cover?+
Phones, tablets, laptops, Macs and desktops, smartwatches, and the drives inside them, working, damaged or dead. Every unit is IMEI/serial screened at intake for locks and blacklist status before anything is processed.
The most cash
Beat carrier credits and kiosks. Real money, not 24-month bill credits.
Paid the same day
Free prepaid label, FedEx drop-off, and payout the day we inspect.
Your data, erased
Certified NIST 800-88 wipe with a free Certificate of Data Erasure.
Good for the planet
Every device reused or responsibly recycled. ~58kg CO₂ saved per phone.