Maximising the return of your retired it assets

There are many advantages of an IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) program. The modern world requires making a return on a business investment, and maximising the return on a retired IT asset can help a company meet these goals.

The importance of correct secure e-waste disposal

Proper recycling of your business's old electronics is beneficial for the environment — and you could be throwing away potentially valuable returns.

Global E-waste Monitor reported a record 50 million metric tonnes of e-waste was generated worldwide each year, which was up 21% since the report was last done in 2014. This means that correctly disposing of retired IT assets is more important than ever. If the current trends continue, there will be a projected 74 million metric tonnes of e-waste by 2030.

Taking a global position

If your business isn’t ahead of the game, you’re not alone, because 60% of global organisations don’t have a globally structured, well-defined ITAD program. The program should be operated with IT infrastructure, data centres and security in mind. This is where a sustainable circular economy business model is beneficial, according to Iron Mountain’s Solution Development Manager for Asset Lifecycle Management, Bruce Creighton.

A circular business model is more simple than you might think. From the materials supplied all the way to the last bit of waste, this model is environmentally and economically advantageous. Unsustainable practices aren’t going to cut it anymore, so it's time to take ITAD more seriously. Creighton outlines four steps in the circular business model that can help you make a positive impact on the environment, all while potentially generating increased ROI. Here is the basic lifecycle of an IT asset:

1. Select and procure: Identify new needs and asset requirements.
2. Pre-deployment: Storage, warehousing, configuration, imaging, asset tagging and rollout.
3. Project management: Deployment projects and installations; for example, Windows 10.
4. Retire and decommission: Decommissioning and data erasure in order to repurpose.
5. Remarket, reclaim and recycle: Maintain utility, extend the life and recover value in order to offset the cost.

This lifecycle supports the circular business model and is more sustainable than a linear one.

Secure ITAD Program key focus areas

Secure IT asset disposition (ITAD) is important for preventing data breaches and preserving your company’s reputation. If you’re having a difficult time getting accurate IT asset lists from different locations or have trouble determining what asset conditions are for each location, it may be time for a new strategy.

Creighton suggests that internal organisation systems, compliance records and safety protocols are important to understand what the data-bearing assets entail, where they’re located and what sensitive data resides on them. From here, you can ensure on-site sanitation — a requirement in the tracking process.

Policy management relies on the procedures, policies, rules and regulations coming together as intersecting factions that ensure successful disposal.

Your ITAD program should focus on these four cornerstones to align with your corporate risk management strategy:

1. Data security: Throughout the entire IT asset disposal process, the data-bearing assets should be managed and protected at all times.
2. Value recovery: When possible, deliver the value to assist in the total cost of ownership of particular IT equipment.
3. Compliance: You must meet corporate and regulatory requirements and mandates, which secure and standardised processing can assist with.
4. Sustainability: The strategy should provide an ethical and sustainable solution that connects with the ultimate goal of a circular economy.

The Iron Mountain 24/7 asset tracking and order management portal makes this alignment process easier and more straightforward than ever. Let’s learn a little more about how Iron Mountain can help you dispose of your IT assets securely and efficiently.

Iron Mountain's end-to-end services

From ITAD managed services, secure ITAD for corporate end-user devices and secure ITAD data centres, we have a variety of resources.

Here are some examples of onsite and offsite services:

• Physical audits
• On-site deployments
• Asset tagging
• Asset redeployments
• Asset storage
• Data erasures
• Asset management
• Meta descriptions
• Maximum value recovery remarketing
• CEU decommissioning
• E-waste recycling
• Recertification and reengineering
• Data centre and decommissioning

This is just a sampling of some services that you can find at Iron Mountain.

Advantages of finding a return on investment

Here are some of the top benefits of recycling your IT assets, according to Iron Mountain leader Bruce Creighton:

• Low environmental impact from mining, production and transportation.
• Minimum consumption of virgin mined raw materials impacting climate change.
• Reduced energy consumption during manufacturing.
• Lower Greenhouse gas and CO2 emissions.

Our global footprint

Wherever you are located, there is a chance that Iron Mountain is accessible to you. With 32 countries supported globally and 59 ITAD processing facilities, we are well-positioned to provide our services to the world.

Iron Mountain’s key capabilities

When organisations work with Iron Mountain, they can expect some of the following key capabilities:

• Security: Protecting confidential data with a secure chain of custody.
• Cost savings: Minimising the total cost of owning an asset and extracting market value.
• Sustainability: Reducing global footprint with a certified organisation.
• Compliance: Meeting legal and industry standards, whether federal, state or local regulations.
• Consolidation: Managing the process regardless of location through the customer portal.

Despite the complicated process that is ITAD, working with a knowledgeable and certified team of professionals can take the stress out of it. Easily trackable and secure, you can take your IT management strategy to the next level.