Hard drives destruction

Hard drive destruction is necessary to permanently and securely delete company data. Many companies store sensitive information on old hard drives for years, such as customer data, contracts or financial reports. Without certified data destruction, this information is often easy to retrieve, with all the associated risks. On this page you can read why secure destroy hard drives so important, which methods are available, what it costs and how we arrange that for your organization.

Why destroy hard drives?

Many organizations think that formatting or erasing is sufficient, but in reality data often remains fully or partially recoverable. Hard drives contain sensitive data that should not end up on the street, especially with the current GDPR legislation. Data leaks due to improper removal can lead to fines, reputational damage and legal claims.

Having a hard drive destroyed professionally is the only way to be sure that information does not fall into the wrong hands. Professional data destruction is certainly essential for companies in healthcare, IT, financial and legal sectors or government for compliance and customer confidence.

Securely destroy hard drives

There are several methods to securely destroy hard drives. It is very important for companies to have the destruction done by a recognized, certified IT data destruction company such as E-Waste Netherlands. These are the 3 most common ways:

Hard drive shredder: physical destruction

With a hard disk shredder, the disks are physically destroyed. It is the safest and most permanent method. The hard disks are ground in an industrial shredder into pieces smaller than 9 mm, in accordance with DIN 66399 H-5. This makes data recovery technically impossible. This method is extremely suitable for disks with very sensitive information.

Hard drive wiping: software erasing/overwriting

Hard drive wiping is a software method to erase all data on hard drives and other data carriers. The data is overwritten with certified tools, such as Blancco data-wipe. This method complies with international standards such as NIST 800‑88 and is particularly suitable for drives that are reused or sold after data erasure.

Erase Hard Drive with Magnet: Demagnetize

Erasing a hard drive with a magnet is also called degaussing. Degaussing disrupts the magnetic field, making stored data unreadable. This method is often used in addition to physical destruction for maximum security.

have hard drives destroyed

Hard drives destruction on location

Having your hard drives destroyed on-site is the best choice if you want maximum control over data destruction. You will see with your own eyes how each hard drive is destroyed directly at your company.

This prevents transport risks and you will immediately receive the certificate of data destruction. We come with our professional shredder machine everywhere in the Netherlands and carry out on-site data destruction accurately.

Hand in old hard drives Bodegraven 

Companies can also hand in their old hard drives at our location in Bodegraven. You need to make an appointment for this, so that we can arrange the transfer papers in time.

Have your hard drives picked up

Do you want to have your hard drives picked up at your business location? Then use our ICT Pick-up Service. We can also take other IT devices for recycling at the same time.

Our method of hard drive destruction

At E-Waste Nederland we use an efficient and transparent step-by-step plan for hard drive destruction:

  1. Inventory: We will work with you to determine how many and which types of hard drives need to be destroyed.
  2. Quotation & planning: You will receive a clear quotation and customized planning within two working days.
  3. Destruction: Destruction takes place at your location or in our secure warehouse, depending on your preference.
  4. Certificate & Reporting: After completion you will receive an official certificate with serial numbers, date and method used.

How much does hard drive destruction cost?

The costs for hard drive destruction depend on the number, the chosen method (shred or wipe) and whether you choose to destroy on location or the pick-up service. You pay a fixed rate per hard drive (this amounts to between €4 and €8 per piece, excluding VAT). In addition, start-up costs and any transport costs are charged.

You can benefit from volume discounts: the larger the volume, the more advantageous the price per hard drive. We always make a customized quote, without surprises afterwards. 

Environmentally friendly processing: hard drive recycling

Hard disk recycling is an important part of our service. After erasing, wiping, shredding or shredding, the data carriers or residual materials are sustainably processed according to WEEELABEX standards. Printed circuit boards, metals and plastics are separated and recycled, so that valuable raw materials can be reused.

The benefits of E-Waste Netherlands

E-Waste Nederland is part of W3E and specialized in data destruction, IT recycling, hardware purchasing and circular ICT solutions. We:

  • have all the certifications: WEEELABEX, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 27001, NIWO and Blancco

  • to have more than 15 years of experience with corporate clients, GDPR, compliance and internal audits

  • use clear rates, without hidden costs or small print

  • provide national coverage through efficient logistics and planning

  • work carefully and quickly, without compromising data security
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Frequently Asked Questions About Hard Drive Destruction

How can I safely destroy old hard drives?

As a company, it is best to have old hard drives securely destroyed by a professional party, such as E-Waste Nederland. This way, you can be sure that data has really been deleted and you can also demonstrate this during an inspection. For private individuals, we have written an article about the different methods that do and do not work: How to destroy hard drive.

Is wiping hard drives sufficient?

Hard drive wiping with software is suitable for reuse, but offers less security than physical destruction. There is always a (very minimal) chance that data can be recovered. It is therefore important to use certified software such as Blancco.

What is DIN66399 H5?

DIN66399 H5 is a European security standard for destroying data carriers. It stands for a high security class in which data carriers, such as HDD and SDD, USK sticks and other data carriers are destroyed to fragments smaller than 320 mm².

Can you shred hard drives on-site?

Yes, E-Waste Nederland has mobile shredders with which we shred hard drives on location. We can do this throughout the Netherlands.

Will I receive a certificate of destruction?

Yes, you will always receive a certificate of destruction and any wipe reports with the serial numbers of the destroyed disks, the date and the method used.

What to do with old hard drives?

Never just throw old hard drives away with the residual waste! This is very unwise for both companies and individuals. Data can easily be stolen. If it ends up in the wrong hands, this can have unpleasant consequences. It is therefore necessary to have old hard drives destroyed safely and certified by a recognized party. Individuals can often go to a computer store. Companies can have their data destruction taken care of by a party such as E-Waste Netherlands.