Networking Equipment Recycling & Secure Data Destruction
R2v3 certified processing for routers, switches, firewalls, and network infrastructure. Data sanitization aligned to NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 2, with a serialized Certificate of Destruction on every device.
- Sanitization Aligned to NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 2
- Secure Recycling & Chain of Custody
- Free pickup for qualifying business volumes
From core switches to edge routers, one documented chain of custody
STS Electronic Recycling processes routers, switches, firewalls, and wireless access points for IT and facilities directors managing enterprise network refreshes nationwide, as part of a full IT asset disposition (ITAD) program. Equipment is staged locally and transported to a secure processing facility, with each device tracked by serial number from intake through final disposition.
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Every port, panel, and appliance handled to the same standard
Wondering what happens to a retired switch's configuration data? Network hardware carries that data as well as material value, and STS provides destruction, processing, and value-recovery services sized for a single closet swap or a multi-site infrastructure refresh.
Data Destruction
Sanitization aligned to NIST SP 800-88
Asset Liquidation
Recover value from working hardware
Secure Logistics
Chain-of-custody transport
Configuration-Aware Data Destruction
Routers, switches, firewalls, and wireless controllers can retain configuration data, including admin credentials, VPN settings, and SNMP strings, in onboard flash or NVRAM even after power-down. Appliances built around an internal hard drive or SSD, such as unified threat management boxes and network-attached storage integrated with a router, are logged and sanitized using the same standards STS applies to any hard drive destruction job, with results recorded on your Certificate of Destruction. Rack-mounted network appliances that function like small servers are processed under the same server destruction protocols STS uses for data center hardware.
NIST SP 800-88 Sanitization
Sanitization performed in accordance with NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 2
Flash & NVRAM Clearing
Configuration and firmware storage cleared as part of processing
Embedded Drive Destruction
Internal hard drives and SSDs in network appliances destroyed per device
Physical Shredding
Facility-based destruction available for high-security equipment
Asset Liquidation for Network Hardware
Retired switches, routers, and access points that still function have resale value. Our IT asset liquidation service assesses functional network equipment for fair market value and handles remarketing after sanitization, offsetting the cost of a refresh project.
Fair Market Valuation
Professional assessment of functional equipment against current market conditions
Post-Sanitization Remarketing
Devices sanitized before any resale channel is considered
Itemized Reporting
Line-item accounting of equipment processed and recovered value
ESG Reporting
Environmental impact documentation for sustainability reporting
Secure Logistics & Transportation
Network equipment moves under chain-of-custody documentation from your site through final processing. Multi-site pickups are coordinated on a consolidated schedule, with serialized records tying every device to its disposition.
Chain of Custody
Documentation from pickup through processing, with audit-ready records
Multi-Site Coordination
Consolidated pickups across multiple locations with unified reporting
Serialized Tracking
Each device recorded by serial number at intake and at disposition
Accurate Reporting
Weight and asset-class reporting delivered with your documentation
Built for Network Equipment Volume, Small or Large
A single infrastructure refresh can involve dozens of switches and routers across several wiring closets. STS processed 1,366,386 IT assets in the most recent full reporting period, with 52.9% of units routed to reuse, so volume swings don't change how a device is tracked. STS engagements with enterprise IT teams typically include serialized asset tracking synced to refresh timelines, standard for organizations retiring switches and routers across sites.
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National Processing Capacity
Our 250,000 sq ft Jacksonville, Texas processing facility is one of two R2v3 certified sites nationwide, the other in Houston, Texas, giving equipment collected anywhere in the country a certified destination.
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Comprehensive Compliance
Secure, transparent, sustainable processing, data destruction aligned to NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 2, and a serialized Certificate of Destruction issued on completion for every device.
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Recognized Track Record
RIOS certified company-wide, with ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 held through the RIOS-integrated management system, BBB A+ accreditation since January 2012, and a three-time Inc. 5000 honoree (2018 No. 3,463; 2020 No. 3,436; 2021 No. 2,367).
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Value Recovery
Fair market valuation on functional switches, routers, and access points maximizes ROI and offsets refresh-project costs.
From a single switch to a full network refresh
Network equipment rarely retires alone. We process the full range of electronics found alongside it in a modern office or data closet.
Computing Equipment
Mobile & Network
The standards your auditor will ask about by name
Our certifications and management-system framework cover data security and environmental handling for network equipment recycling nationwide.
Secure Recycling
RIOS certified company-wide, with ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 held through the RIOS-integrated management system, verifying our environmental management and security controls.
NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 2
Federal data sanitization standard applied to configuration data, embedded storage, and any drives found in network appliances.
Chain of Custody
Serial-level records support a covered entity's media-disposal and media-reuse procedures under HIPAA, including BAA coverage, for organizations that need that documentation.
How Does the Network Equipment Recycling Process Work?
STS processes network equipment through a four-step workflow: consultation and scheduling, secure pickup under chain of custody, sanitization aligned to NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 2 or physical shredding, and a serialized Certificate of Destruction issued on completion, whether the job is one switch or a full-site refresh.
Consultation & Scheduling
We assess your equipment volume and locations, then schedule pickup around your operational needs.
Secure Pickup & Transport
Chain-of-custody documentation follows equipment from your facility through final processing.
Data Destruction & Processing
Sanitization aligned to NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 2, or physical shredding, followed by material processing.
Documentation & Reporting
Receive a serialized Certificate of Destruction, chain-of-custody reports, and weight documentation.
A full closet or campus refresh is the normal case
A single network refresh can involve dozens of switches, routers, and access points across multiple sites. Serial-level records keep every device tied to its own disposition record, regardless of volume.
A retired router is still a configuration record
Routers, switches, and firewalls are built to remember: admin credentials, VPN settings, SNMP strings, and network topology can persist in flash or NVRAM long after a device is unracked. Treating that hardware like ordinary scrap, instead of like the data-bearing device it is, is where exposure creeps in.
Serial-level records tie each device to its disposition, so an auditor asking "where did this switch go" gets a documented answer instead of a guess. IT and facilities directors typically expect a serialized certificate for every audit review, included in every STS service engagement.
What IT and facilities teams ask first
Everything you need to know about recycling routers, switches, and other network equipment with STS.
Do you recycle switches, routers, and firewalls?
Yes. Networking equipment is one of our standard equipment categories, processed alongside computers, servers, and mobile devices at our R2v3 certified facilities.
What happens to configuration data on retired network hardware?
Under NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 2, sanitization requires verifying purge-level overwrite or physical destruction, standard for every STS engagement. Appliances with an internal hard drive or SSD are processed the same way as any of the 245,988 hard drives STS processed in the most recent full reporting period.
Can we get value back for equipment that still works?
Often, yes. Functional switches and routers are assessed for fair market value through our asset liquidation service before being remarketed.
What certifications and standards do you maintain?
RIOS certification company-wide, with ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 held through the RIOS-integrated management system, BBB A+ accreditation, and R2v3 certified processing facilities.
Can you handle a multi-site network refresh, and is pickup free?
Yes. Pickups across multiple locations can be coordinated on a consolidated schedule with unified reporting. Ask about a free pickup for qualifying business volumes across your sites.
What documentation do we receive?
A serialized Certificate of Destruction listing each device by serial number with its sanitization method, plus chain-of-custody and weight reporting.
Still Have Questions?
Our team is ready to talk through your network equipment recycling needs.
Where Your Equipment Is Processed
STS Electronic Recycling, Inc. is headquartered in Jacksonville, Texas, and has served schools, businesses, healthcare systems, and government agencies across all 50 states since 2010.
Equipment collected nationwide is staged locally and transported to one of our two R2v3 certified processing facilities in Jacksonville, Texas and Houston, Texas, where all data destruction and material recovery takes place.
The Certificate of Destruction, issued on completion, lists each device by serial number with the sanitization method recorded against it.
Ready to Recycle Your Network Equipment?
Free pickup for qualifying business volumes. R2v3 certified processing and a serialized Certificate of Destruction on every device.
