What is IT asset disposition (ITAD)?

Effective ITAD programmes help businesses mitigate data security risks, comply with environmental regulations, and recover value from retired technology assets. By not using a reputable ITAD company, companies risk more than lost asset value — they also face potential data breaches, regulatory fines, and reputational harm.

Read on as we cover ITAD, with actionable insights along the way.

IT asset disposition: An overview

ITAD is the structured process of securely managing IT assets at the end of their use.

Asset Lifecycle Management (ALM) governs the entire journey of an IT asset—from purchase and deployment to maintenance, reverse logistics, and eventual retirement. ITAD is the final phase of an asset’s lifecycle, ensuring secure, compliant disposal within the broader ALM framework.

Iron Mountain’s ALM solutions sharpen visibility and control, lower risk, and support compliance and data security. They also preserve asset value and supply data for sustainability reporting. The following ITAD functions support Iron Mountain in delivering these benefits.

Remarketing and value recovery

Remarketing is the process of reselling functional retired IT equipment to recover financial value. This process includes data sanitisation, testing, refurbishment, data sanitisation, and resale through established market channels.

Value recovery maximises the return on initial technology investments by extending the useful life of equipment beyond an organisation's needs. Effective remarketing programmes offset new technology costs while providing accurate valuation reporting.

Secure data sanitisation is the process of permanently removing all data from storage media using methods that prevent recovery. Data destruction involves the physical demolition of storage devices to render them unusable and prevent data retrieval.

Its methods include overwriting, degaussing, cryptographic erasure, and physical destruction. These processes ensure data is not compromised during IT asset disposition and ensure organisations fulfil regulatory compliance requirements for data protection.

E-waste recycling and environmental compliance

E-waste recycling is the process of disassembling electronic equipment to recover materials for reuse in manufacturing either at the component level or at a raw material level. This includes separating components into categories such as metals, plastics, and circuit boards.

Environmental compliance refers to adherence to regulations governing the disposal of electronic waste to prevent hazardous materials from entering landfills as well as other best practices. R2 and e-Stewards are the industry certification leaders in establishing the standards for responsible e-Waste disposal. Proper e-waste recycling reduces environmental impact while recovering valuable resources from obsolete technology.

Compliance and certifications

Key ITAD certifications include R2v3 for responsible recycling, ISO 27001 for information security, NAID AAA for data destruction, ISO 14001 for environmental management, and ISO 9001 for quality management systems. These certifications provide independent verification of ITAD process integrity.

Secure logistics and chain of custody

Secure logistics is the protected transport and handling of IT assets during the disposition process. Chain of custody is the tracking and documented chronological transfer of assets between authorised handlers, creating an audit trail from collection through final processing.

This includes secure packaging, tracked transportation, access controls, and verification procedures at each transfer point. A verifiable chain of custody prevents unauthorised access to assets containing sensitive data during the disposition process.

Documentation and reporting

Documentation and reporting in ITAD involve creating and maintaining records that verify completion of disposition processes. Key documents include asset inventories, data sanitisation certificates, destruction verification, chain of custody records, and environmental benefit reports.

These records provide evidence of regulatory compliance, data security practices, and the amount of carbon emission reduction and e-Waste reduction from landfills. Proper documentation serves as an audit trail for internal governance and external verification requirements.

Sustainability initiatives

Sustainability initiatives in ITAD are structured programmes designed to minimise the environmental impact of technology disposal. These include carbon emission reduction, e-Waste landfill reduction, supporting zero-landfill policies, and material recovery processes, while supporting a circular economy approach.

Sustainability metrics measure diverted landfill waste, recovered materials, and reduced environmental impact. These initiatives support corporate environmental responsibility goals while providing measurable outcomes for sustainability reporting.

ITAD: How it works

At Iron Mountain, we’re ITAD experts. With Iron Mountain’s ITAD programme, you can:

Achieve consistency across all locations

Iron Mountain’s ITAD programme provides organisations with consistent asset disposition across multiple locations by assigning a dedicated programme manager. They serve as your main point of contact, helping you coordinate pickups, streamline processes, and ensure compliance with relevant regulations.

The programme manager also oversees detailed asset tracking, scheduling, and documentation to maintain a smooth workflow. By centralising communication and reporting, Iron Mountain promotes dependable, standardised procedures at every site, allowing you to focus on core business activities.

Secure predictable costs through pre-approved and preferred rates

Iron Mountain’s ITAD programme simplifies budgeting with clear pre-approved and preferred rates that help establish predictable cost structures. These standardised fees minimise surprises by clearly defining service and processing expenses in advance.

Iron Mountain’s online portal enables you to request pickups, track assets, and view associated charges, ensuring transparency for informed decisions. With consistent, up-front pricing, Iron Mountain allows your team to confidently allocate and manage ITAD budgets without hidden costs.

Gain full visibility with real-time tracking

Iron Mountain’s real-time tracking capabilities deliver comprehensive oversight of the IT asset disposition process. Through the secure online portal, you can follow each device’s journey from pickup to final disposition, maintaining awareness and accountability at every stage.

This heightened visibility enhances both security and compliance, as you can promptly verify the status of assets and confirm adherence to established protocols.

Safeguard compliance via a certificate of destruction (CoD)

Iron Mountain issues a certificate of destruction to verify that retired devices have been handled in accordance with data protection guidelines and environmental regulations.

This official documentation serves as proof of secure data destruction and responsible recycling, reducing your organisation’s exposure to compliance risks. Detailed asset records further demonstrate adherence to industry standards, ensuring you can confirm proper disposal practices.

Optimise protection through world-class logistics and processing

Iron Mountain relies on a global fleet of purpose-built vehicles, stringent security measures, and highly trained staff to protect your IT assets throughout the disposition process. Locked, alarmed, and GPS-monitored trucks transport equipment, minimising opportunities for unauthorised access.

In Iron Mountain’s secure processing facilities, specialised personnel follow rigorous protocols for handling, sorting, and destroying data-bearing devices. Combining reliable logistics with sophisticated processing, Iron Mountain delivers a consistent, compliant, and thoroughly safeguarded IT asset disposition experience.

Iron Mountain Asset Lifecycle Management

A world leader in secure IT asset management trusted by more than 90% of the Fortune 1000 for over 70 years, Iron Mountain Asset Lifecycle Management delivers secure, sustainable hardware asset management and IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) services on a global scale.

Iron Mountain’s ITAD programme helps enterprises understand how their IT departments deliver measurable business outcomes for strategic initiatives, including improved Employee Experience (EX), cost optimisation and value recovery, and data security and compliance. The programme also addresses sustainability, ESG alignment, automation, and IT asset management integration.

A world leader in secure IT asset management trusted by more than 90% of the Fortune 1000 for over 70 years, Iron Mountain Asset Lifecycle Management delivers secure, sustainable hardware asset management and IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) services on a global scale. Our end-to-end services, available in over 30 countries, include best-in-class logistics and chain-of-custody, data sanitisation, and certified decommissioning, with a focus on maximising reuse and minimising emissions and e-waste.

Contact Iron Mountain today to learn more.