Why responsible hard drive recycling and destruction are so important for your Naples business

Disposing of old technology is a frequent concern for all Naples businesses. They must balance the need to protect private information with the responsibility of maintaining an environmentally sustainable business.

Many might consider that recycling their old components without destroying them complete is environmentally responsible, and it is—but doing so may expose them to massive security risks when it comes to customer and partner data. On the other hand, disposing of these items in landfills can be viewed as environmentally reckless (and doesn’t eliminate the security risk either).

It’s therefore important for all businesses to launch an effective and responsible process for destroying old hard drives and recycling the raw materials they’re made of.

Destroying protects confidential data

Every one of your customers and partners depends on your company to protect the confidential information they’ve provided you. Without an effective control mechanism that eliminates the potential for accessing this sensitive data, it can still be retrieved and be used by hackers—even if the hard drive still lingers at the bottom of a dumpster. Unlikely as it sounds, this kind of data compromise has been the downfall of many a business relationship or customer base.

Privacy laws include protecting digital information

Most industries operate under legislative regulations that require them to observe and follow standards of privacy. Other professional organizations, like the HIPAA and FACTA, have further requirements intended to guarantee that personal data is properly eliminated to ensure confidentiality and safety. A company may be occasionally required to show proof of data destruction as part of a professional or legal audit.

Responsible recycling is a sustainable solution

To be sure, technological waste is an environmental blight. But merely recycling old components like hard drives, fax machines or copiers doesn’t always eliminate a company’s vulnerability to data breaches that could come back to haunt them later. A comprehensive program of data destruction and hard drive shredding includes actions that turn the destroyed components back into raw materials that can be utilized for new products. This kind of recycling is safe, sure, and beneficial to the environment—it keeps data out of criminals’ hands and keeps discarded material out of landfills.

The best process for destruction and recycling old data components

A responsible policy for destroying old tech and recycling old materials includes:

• Scheduling items for pickup
• Having your drives shredded on- or off-site
• Recycling and repurposing raw materials for products
• Receiving a certificate of destruction to document proper and secure chain of command.

Even old data on outdated equipment can still expose your company to risks. ShredQuick can help protect your Naples business and its customers with their complete hard drive recycling and destruction services. Get in touch with us to find out more.