Remarketing vs. Recycling: Which Is the Better Option for End-of-Life IT Assets?

Feb 9, 2023

Businesses rely on various computing equipment and hardware for their day-to-day tasks. However, when these devices are no longer needed or are replaced by newer ones, they must be properly disposed of to ensure private user data isn’t exposed to the public. Businesses can either sell old devices or recycle them for scrap, but which is the better option?

The Benefits of Remarketing

In most cases, simply wiping end-of-life (EOL) IT assets is enough to secure any data that might have been stored on them. With IT asset remarketing, you can resell your devices and get a nice return, reducing the overhead of your IT investments over time.

The important thing to keep in mind when remarketing EOL IT assets is that you and your company will be liable for any user data left on the device. Making sure you use the proper secure wiping and erasure techniques is essential if you decide to remarket old devices, which is where a data destruction partner comes in handy. By relying on a certified vendor to handle the hard drive wiping, you can be confident there is no data that remains.

The Benefits of Recycling

The process of recycling EOL equipment is pretty straightforward. Unwanted devices are shipped to an asset disposal facility, where they’re run through industrial processes that break them down and collect remaining materials for redistribution into the supply chain.

The nice thing about recycling electronics with a certified vendor is that you don’t have to worry about whether the data was properly erased. With trained technicians who can identify hidden data and with compliant industrial shredding, IT assets won’t leave you liable. No data will be left to be found out in the wild, so long as you know you can trust the company you shipped it to.

Which Is Best?

Between remarketing and recycling electronics in South Dakota and in North Dakota, there are certainly some advantages and limitations that can affect your decision.

With remarketing, you can make a little extra money back, but you have to be able to verify the partner you’re using is certified to perform complete data erasure. On the other hand, recycling and shredding devices means they’re gone for good, but you still have to pay to make sure it’s done safely and securely. No matter which option you choose, the most important thing is to have a service you can trust to verify data has been properly handled from start to finish.

Dispose of Your EOL Assets with SEAM

Do you have EOL assets you need to dispose of? Whether you want to resell them into the market or recycle them for good, having a partner you can depend on will make all the difference.

Secure Enterprise Asset Management (SEAM) understands the entire process of data destruction inside and out, giving you access to certified EOL asset management with tracking, reporting, and documentation every step of the way.

SEAM’s NAID AAA-certified process for HDD and SSD shredding and wiping will make sure all of your data is properly disposed of. If your business is located in North Dakota or South Dakota and you want to maximize your ROI, we offer value recovery in the form of wiping, remarketing, and IT hardware sales.

Find out for yourself why SEAM is a trusted partner for dealing with EOL IT assets. Contact us for a quote!

SEAM provides IT recycling and data destruction services including onsite shredding and hard drive wiping to South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, and Nebraska.

Schedule a pickup or contact us for more information.