Question 1

At what stage is the data erased — on site, or after transport?

Accepted Answer

Both models are available, and you choose during scoping — the choice is written into the SOW before any device is moved. Off-site (standard managed flow): Drives are inventoried, tagged and sealed into locked security bins on your premises, transported with chain-of-custody documentation, then erased at our processing facility. No device is unaccounted for at any point — this is the published 10-step ITAD process. On-site, before collection: When your policy requires that readable data never leaves the premises, we erase — or physically destroy (HDD punch/drill) — storage media on site, with per-device photo evidence, before anything is packed for transport.

Question 2

Which data erasure standard do you use?

Accepted Answer

Software erasure runs on Blancco Drive Eraser. The standard is set per engagement to match your policy: NIST 800-88 (Clear, or Purge where the drive's firmware supports it), DoD 5220.22-M / ECE, HMG Infosec Standard 5, and 25+ other published standards including IEEE 2883-2022 — the full list is on our ITAD page. The standard actually executed is recorded per device on the erasure report — your auditors see which method ran against which serial number, not a blanket claim. The masked sample report further down this page shows the exact field. Blancco's NIST 800-88 implementation is Compliance Verified by ADISA for both HDDs and SSDs.

Question 3

How do you erase SSDs and NVMe drives?

Accepted Answer

Flash media can't be treated like spinning disk, so SSDs and NVMe drives are processed with Blancco's patented SSD erasure method (US Patent 9,286,231), which combines exactly the mechanisms security reviews ask about: Firmware-level sanitisation: Device Sanitize commands and cryptographic erase are issued where the drive's firmware supports them — reaching NIST 800-88 Purge level on drives that support Sanitize. Overwriting: Multiple random overwrites across the drive's full logical capacity, with freeze-lock removal so locked drives can't silently skip the pass. Full verification: Every erasure is verified before the report is issued; the mechanism that actually ran on each drive is recorded on that drive's report. A drive whose firmware cannot complete a verified erasure is not given the benefit of the doubt — it is physically destroyed instead (see the failed-drive question below).

Question 4

Which Blancco product and version do you use?

Accepted Answer

Blancco Drive Eraser, licensed per project — we procure current-release licences when a project is scoped rather than holding old licence stock. Recent engagements have run current 7.x releases; the masked sample report below was produced by Drive Eraser 7.13.0 on a June 2025 run. The exact software version used is stamped on every per-device erasure report, and we state it in your SOW on request — version information reaches you as verifiable evidence on the report, not as a claim in an email.

Question 5

If physical destruction is used, what is the final shred particle size?

Accepted Answer

Four physical destruction methods are available, chosen per media type and policy: on-site HDD punch/drill, certified degaussing, SSD/HDD bending, and industrial shredding through a certified destruction partner. We won't quote a particle size in millimetres on a marketing page: shredding runs on the certified partner's equipment, so the final particle size depends on the machine assigned to your batch. It is specified in the SOW up front and stated on the destruction certificate. If your policy mandates a maximum particle size, name it during scoping — we either meet it, or tell you before work starts.

Question 6

What happens to a drive that fails the erasure process?

Accepted Answer

It never re-enters the recycling or resale stream. Every batch passes a report-QA step in which the Blancco results are reviewed for missing or failed devices. Any drive that fails erasure — or whose verification cannot complete — is routed to physical destruction (punch/drill, bend or shred, as agreed in the SOW). The destroyed drive appears on the final Certificate of Disposal with its serial number and destruction method, backed by the same photo/video evidence taken for all physically destroyed media.

Question 7

What certificates will we receive — and can we see samples?

Accepted Answer

Four documents, depending on what your project includes: Per-device Blancco erasure report: Digitally signed and tamper-proof: serial number, erasure standard and mechanism, verification result, timestamp and software version. Per-device Destruction Certificate: For physically destroyed media: serial number, asset tag, device type, method, date and certificate reference. Certificate of Disposal + comprehensive report: The batch-level summary listing every asset and its outcome — written to stand up in ISO 27001 audits and regulatory reviews. Recycling certificate: Issued through the certified e-waste partner where the project includes recycling — zero landfill. Sample documents (Data Destruction Certificate, Recycling Certificate) are available on request — and a masked report from a real erasure run is shown just below, so you can see the format before you ask.

Question 8

How is the service priced?

Accepted Answer

ITAD is quoted per project against a signed SOW — there is no honest per-drive list price, because the cost drivers are logistical. What moves the quote: Devices: Quantity, dimensions and weight — they set the vehicle, labour hours and packing materials. Sites: Location(s), site access requirements, and whether DC conditions must be restored. Methods & tools: Which erasure and destruction methods your policy requires — Blancco licences, degauss equipment, bending, certified shredding. Evidence depth: Inventory and audit requirements, certificate formats, photo/video evidence. Schedule: Business hours vs. overtime / non-business-hours work, and the project deadline.

How we deliver certified data erasure

The eight questions, answered