Server & Router Equipment Recycling & Certified Data Destruction
Secure decommissioning for enterprise servers, storage arrays, and networking hardware. Data destruction aligned to NIST SP 800-88 for every rack-mounted drive and RAID array, with R2v3 certified processing and nationwide logistics.
- Data Destruction Aligned to NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 2
- Secure Recycling & Chain of Custody Documentation
- Free pickup for qualifying business volumes
What Sanitization Standards Apply to Server and RAID Storage?
NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 2 governs Clear, Purge, and Destroy sanitization for the hard drives, SSDs, and RAID controllers found in decommissioned servers. A single rack typically holds a RAID array, boot media inside the chassis, and networking devices that touched the same data, so certification and documentation are built around the full rack, not one drive.
Secure Recycling
R2v3 certified processing facilities in Jacksonville, Texas and Houston, Texas handle documented, downstream-tracked recycling for every server, storage, and network asset received nationwide.
NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 2
Clear, Purge, and Destroy sanitization for the hard drives, SSDs, and RAID controllers pulled from decommissioned servers, with verification documentation for every device. According to Sage Sustainable Electronics' 2026 IT Asset Management Benchmarking Report, NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 2 adoption has grown from roughly a third to over half of surveyed organizations in the past year, while a portion of the market still reports using the retired DoD 5220.22-M method.
Chain of Custody
Serial-level records follow every server, drive, and networking asset from intake through Certificate of Destruction. This supports a covered entity's media-disposal and media-reuse procedures under HIPAA, including BAA coverage where required.
STS engagements with enterprise IT and data center operations typically pair asset-level serial tracking with the capital equipment records finance teams need for depreciation and audit sign-off.
Company-Wide Certifications & Recognition
RIOS certification, and ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 held through the RIOS-integrated management system.
BBB accredited A+, since January 2012. Inc. 5000 honoree in 2018 (No. 3,463), 2020 (No. 3,436), and 2021 (No. 2,367).
Additional compliance frameworks: FERPA • FACTA • SOX • GLBA
Request Compliance DocumentationDecommissioning a rack is not the same job as recycling one drive
IT directors managing a data center or server room refresh need destruction documentation that survives an audit, not just a pickup receipt. STS Electronic Recycling provides secure IT asset disposition and data destruction aligned to NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 2 for enterprise server, storage, and networking equipment nationwide. In the most recent full reporting period, STS processed 245,988 hard drives, with serial-number certificates of destruction issued for every device retired outright or evaluated first for value recovery through liquidation. Full IT asset disposition (ITAD) services cover the entire lifecycle, from data center decommissioning to final reporting.
Request a Server Recycling Quote
Every device inside a decommissioned rack holds data
From full server chassis to the networking gear, storage, and peripherals around them, we process every category of equipment found in a modern server room or data center.
Computing Equipment
Mobile & Network
Office Equipment
How Does the Server Recycling Process Work?
STS Electronic Recycling processes server and network equipment through a four-step workflow: consultation and scheduling, secure pickup and transport, data destruction aligned to NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 2, and documentation, producing a Certificate of Destruction and chain-of-custody report at completion.
Consultation & Planning
Server and data center decommissioning projects often require pickup scheduled around production windows rather than standard business hours. STS assesses your inventory and sanitization requirements and schedules pickup accordingly, at no cost for qualifying volumes.
Secure Pickup & Transport
Secured cargo compartments provide complete chain-of-custody from your facility through final processing, with accurate reporting throughout.
Data Destruction & Processing
Sanitization aligned to NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 2 or physical shredding for rack-mounted drives and RAID controllers, followed by secure processing at our R2v3 certified facilities.
Documentation & Reporting
Receive an itemized Certificate of Destruction, chain-of-custody reports, and environmental impact documentation for every asset.
A full data center refresh is the normal case, not the exception
AI-driven refresh cycles for GPU-dense server hardware now run as short as 10 to 18 months (source: SK tes, May 2026), a pace data centers, colocation providers, and enterprise IT operations are increasingly built around. The figures below are our R2v3 certified operating baseline for handling that volume, not a peak.
*In the most recent full reporting period.
When evaluating ITAD providers at this scale, IT directors typically prioritize serial-level documentation and downstream reporting over price alone.
What IT directors ask before a server decommission
Everything you need to know about our data destruction methods, compliance standards, and logistics for server and network equipment.
What data destruction methods do you use for server hard drives and RAID arrays?
We provide multiple sanitization methods including verified single-pass overwrite aligned to NIST SP 800-88, degaussing for magnetic media, and certified physical shredding for drives pulled from RAID arrays and server chassis. All methods include a serialized Certificate of Destruction.
Can you handle a full server room or data center decommission?
Yes. We coordinate pickups for complete server room and data center decommissioning projects nationwide, with consolidated reporting and consistent documentation across every rack and asset involved.
What certifications and compliance standards do you maintain?
STS is R2v3 certified and maintains secure, transparent, sustainable processing standards, with data destruction aligned to NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 2 and processes that support HIPAA, FERPA, FACTA, SOX, and GLBA requirements for retired server and network hardware.
How is chain of custody maintained during transport?
Every pickup uses secured cargo compartments and complete chain-of-custody documentation tracking each server, drive, and networking asset from your facility through final disposition.
Do you offer value recovery or liquidation for functional server equipment?
Yes. Where server, storage, or networking hardware still holds market value, our liquidation services provide fair market value assessment and secure remarketing, with full data sanitization completed before any resale.
What documentation is provided for compliance audits?
IT directors typically expect detailed certificates of destruction for audit reviews, included in every STS service engagement. STS provides serial-number-specific certificates of destruction, chain-of-custody reports, asset inventory manifests, and environmental impact documentation for every decommissioned server and network asset.
Still Have Questions?
Our team is ready to discuss your server and network equipment recycling requirements.
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 Decommission Your Server Equipment?
Free pickup for qualifying server and network equipment volumes, with enterprise-scale capacity and serialized chain-of-custody documentation for every device.
