5 ITAD Best Practices for 2022

Published: 12/09/2021

5 ITAD Best Practices for 2022

As you head into the new year, take time to examine your current IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) program to ensure that your ITAD provider follows industry standards, procedures and best practices. Applying ITAD best practices will transform your ITAD program from a cost center to a profit center, along with making an environmental and social impact.

Best Practice #1: Maintain the highest data security compliance 

Profit and data security are interconnected. If data destruction isn’t expertly managed, a data breach will seriously harm your business. Data erasure negligence can extend even beyond damaging your reputation and cost millions of dollars. The average total cost of a data breach increased by nearly 10 percent to $4.24 million, the highest ever recorded, the latest research discovered.

Regulatory compliance and handling increasingly intricate data security continue to be critical factors influencing an ITAD strategy. Retired IT devices contain sensitive data and are particularly at risk for a data breach. Additionally, there’s a significant increase if data isn’t effectively sanitized or done in compliance with National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) guidelines. Therefore, maintaining the highest data security compliance must be a top ITAD best practice.

Data destruction is best handled by a highly specialized ITAD company with an unblemished history of destroying data without an incident of personal information exposure. This will guarantee that all data was erased to NIST 800-88 standards. A Certificate of Data Destruction certifies that data was destroyed and hard drives cleaned with lawful, compliant methods. The ITAD company assumes all liability for destroyed data with this certificate.

How end-of-life IT device deconstruction occurs is equally important as an ITAD company holding the appropriate data destruction certificates.

Look for these data destruction capabilities in an ITAD partner:

• Ability to perform data destruction mobile on-site (in a secure truck) or off-site (in a secure facility).
• Video recording at both locations (if needed) for visual verification.
• Remnants of the destroyed hard drives are disposed of in a locked, sealed bin and securely wrapped to protect assets from tampering while they’re being transported.
• Use of a secure and reliable freight service or pre-approved logistics vendor specializing in the transportation of IT assets.
• Complete transparency to the chain of custody, including documentation on when data was collected, where it was transferred and who handled it.

Partnering with an expert data destruction provider will ensure that your company upholds the highest level of data security best practices.

Best Practice #2: Uphold the maximum level of environmental policies

There are two crucial elements for retired IT assets—safe e-waste and secure data disposal. Therefore, IT asset disposition must be utilized in the most secure and environmentally responsible policies.

Let’s start with responsible recycling for end-of-life IT devices beyond refurbishment. Take every precaution to prevent retired IT devices from ending up in the world’s landfills or rivers by partnering with an ITAD provider that’s committed to maintaining the highest level of environmental responsibility.

Validate that an ITAD provider:

• Possesses an accredited certification through the EPA.
• Maintains a closed-loop environmental management system.
• Has a downstream process that’s ISO 14001 certified, combined with an e-Stewards® or Responsible Recycling (R2) certification. These require third-party audits based on rigorous environmental standards.
• Holds an OHSAS 18001 certification (International Occupational Health and Safety Management Standard).
• Holds an ISO 9001 certification (International standard that details requirements for a quality management system).
• Delivers accurate tracking and reporting for transparency.

Best Practice #3: Extend retired IT device life

Companies can make an environmental impact and reduce e-waste by leveraging the circular economy for retired IT devices. This concept extends a product’s lifecycle and keeps waste to a minimum.

The many benefits of repairing and refurbishing retired IT devices include:

• Contributing to the circular economy
• Reducing e-waste
• Increasing resale recovery value
• Making a social and environmental impact

Growing environmental concerns and increasing costs have shifted consumer behavior to the growing acceptance and use of refurbished electronics. Thus, there’s an expanding list of manufacturers making electronic devices that are more easily repaired to extend their lifecycle.

Apple recently announced Self Service Repair, which will allow customers who are comfortable with completing their own repairs access to Apple’s genuine parts and tools. In addition, the company reported that it’s committed to designing products for durability, longevity and increased reparability.

Best Practice #4: Make a social impact with end-of-life IT assets

When assessing your retired IT assets, don’t think about them as useless equipment. Instead, imagine their potential and ability to impact:

• Corporate social responsibility goals
• Environmental, social and governance goals
• Students and families caught in the digital divide

Companies can make a social and environmental impact by turning retired, returned and idle IT devices into recertified, affordable technology solutions for low-income students and families.

According to a Pew Research Center study, roughly 41 percent of adults with household incomes below $30,000 a year do not have a desktop or laptop computer. By comparison, each of these technologies is nearly widespread among adults in households earning $100,000 or more a year.

PlanITROI started the Digital Dreams Project to support its mission to bridge the digital divide with affordable technology. Through its non-profit collaborations, including Take On Race, PlanITROI builds mission-driven partnerships. As a result, these organizations are creating a more digitally inclusive world by providing free and low-cost devices to communities of color.

Companies are uniquely positioned to help bridge the digital divide because of their backlog of retired and idle IT devices. Millions of unused and retired IT devices “collecting dust” in U.S. businesses and homes. Directly trading in computers, making a financial contribution or initiating collections can make a difference.

PlanITROI offers a turn-key program with several participation levels, including virtual or in-person drives. This process maximizes the value of underused or end-of-life IT equipment. Together with helping students and families in need, participating in the Digital Dreams Project is an easy entry point into tackling digital inequity and satisfying corporate social responsibility goals.

Best Practice #5: Recover the highest value from retired IT assets

Businesses can recover the highest possible value of an IT asset during various stages of its lifecycle. With reuse, there are many opportunities for an ITAD program to be a profit center, with financial and disposition options, including:

• Employee purchase
• Charitable donations
• Asset recovery (revenue share or buy out)
• Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trade-in/up programs
• Lease returns management

Implementing ITAD best practices will improve IT asset recovery value from your retired IT assets, optimizing investment return. The highest recovery comes from refurbishing and reselling these devices directly to the user through big-box retailers.

PlanITROI is an established “recertified” seller with leading retailers and marketplaces with a proven track record and market-leading warranty.

Next Steps

Keeping these ITAD best practices in mind and wisely choosing an ITAD partner will guarantee ITAD program success in 2022 and beyond.

Do you want to learn more about how PlanITROI can help you implement ITAD best practices? Contact us today to start the process.