From Chromebooks and laptops to servers, hard drives, tablets and outdated storage media, schools and universities have more technology to manage than ever. But what happens when that technology reaches the end of its useful life?
For educational institutions, getting rid of old computers and devices isn't as simple as putting them on a truck and sending them away.
Schools and universities have a responsibility to think about data security, student privacy, equipment reuse, environmental stewardship and responsible recycling when technology is retired.
A good end-of-life technology program should answer four basic questions:
Can it still be used? Is the data secure? Can it be reused or remarketed? And if it cannot be reused, will it be responsibly recycled?
Old Technology May Still Contain Sensitive Information
A computer that no longer works properly can still contain valuable information.
School and university technology may have been used to store student records, employee information, financial information, research data, medical information, passwords, email, photographs and other sensitive files.
The U.S. Department of Education notes that education records can exist in many forms, including computer media, videotape, audiotape, film, microfilm, microfiche and email.
That means a technology retirement program needs to consider more than the computer itself. Hard drives, SSDs, USB drives, CDs, DVDs, backup media and other storage devices can all potentially contain information.
The Department of Education also emphasizes the importance of safeguarding student records and data in both K-12 and higher education environments.
Step 1: Create an Inventory Before Disposing of Anything
Before a school or university starts removing outdated technology, create an inventory.
Depending on the institution, this might include:
- Desktop computers
- Laptops and Chromebooks
- Tablets
- Servers and networking equipment
- Monitors and displays
- Printers and peripherals
- Hard drives and SSDs
- USB drives and memory cards
- CDs and DVDs
- Backup tapes and other legacy storage media
- Audio/visual equipment
- Classroom technology
- Mobile devices
The inventory should identify the equipment, its condition, location and disposition status.
For devices containing storage media, it is also important to document how the data will be handled before the equipment leaves the institution's control.
This creates accountability and makes it easier for IT departments and administrators to demonstrate what happened to retired equipment.
Step 2: Determine Whether Equipment Can Be Reused
Not every old computer belongs in the recycling stream.
Some equipment may still have useful life. A laptop that is no longer appropriate for one department may still be suitable for another application. Working equipment may also have potential for remarketing, refurbishment or reuse.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency encourages organizations to consider reuse and refurbishment as part of responsible electronics management. Extending the useful life of electronics can reduce the amount of material entering the waste stream while preserving the value of the equipment and its materials.
That is why the decision about an old computer should be made before it is automatically treated as waste.
A useful school technology disposition process might include three categories:
Reuse or remarket: Equipment that remains functional and has residual value.
Parts recovery: Equipment that is no longer suitable for deployment but contains components that may have value.
Recycle: Equipment that has reached the end of its useful life and should be processed through an appropriate electronics recycling channel.
At Data Recycling of New England, this philosophy is reflected in its Reuse First approach. Equipment is evaluated for potential reuse or remarketing whenever appropriate before materials move into the recycling stream.
Step 3: Make Data Destruction Part of the Process — Not an Afterthought
This is one of the most important steps.
Simply deleting files or performing a quick reset does not necessarily provide the level of assurance an institution needs when retiring storage media.
NIST's current SP 800-88 Rev. 2, Guidelines for Media Sanitization, published in 2025, emphasizes establishing a formal media-sanitization program based on the sensitivity of information and using appropriate sanitization methods and controls.
For schools and universities, data destruction should therefore be part of the institution's overall technology lifecycle—not something addressed at the loading dock when a truck arrives.
Depending on the equipment and the data involved, appropriate methods may include validated software-based sanitization, physical destruction, or other methods appropriate to the storage technology and security requirements.
For equipment where the storage device is damaged, inaccessible or otherwise cannot be reliably sanitized, physical destruction may be the appropriate option.
Data Recycling of New England provides secure data destruction, including hard-drive and SSD shredding, with documentation and reporting to help organizations maintain records of their disposition process.
Don't Forget Older Storage Media
Today's IT departments are dealing primarily with SSDs, hard drives and flash storage, but educational institutions may still have years—or decades—of legacy media sitting in storage rooms.
That can include:
- CDs and DVDs
- Floppy disks
- Backup tapes
- DLT tapes
- External hard drives
- USB drives
- Memory cards
- Microfiche and other archival media
The U.S. Department of Education's definition of education records illustrates why institutions should think broadly about information storage. Education records aren't limited to paper files or modern computers.
Old doesn't mean irrelevant. A storage device that has been sitting in a closet for years can still contain information.
Step 4: Keep Documentation
A responsible technology disposition program should create a record of what happened to retired equipment.
Depending on the institution's policies and requirements, documentation may include:
- Equipment inventories
- Serial numbers or asset identification
- Dates of pickup or processing
- Data sanitization or destruction records
- Certificates or reports
- Quantities and types of equipment processed
- Final disposition
- Recycling or downstream documentation
Documentation is particularly valuable when equipment contains sensitive information.
It also helps an IT department demonstrate that its technology retirement procedures are consistent and repeatable rather than dependent on whoever happens to be cleaning out the storage room.
Step 5: Know How Your Recycling Partner Handles Your Equipment
Schools and universities should ask questions before turning over obsolete technology.
A responsible electronics recycling partner should be able to explain:
What happens to our equipment after pickup?
How is data handled?
What documentation will we receive?
Which equipment is reused or remarketed?
How are non-reusable electronics processed?
How are materials handled after they leave your facility?
Can you accommodate scheduled pickups as well as larger technology refreshes?
These questions matter because electronics recycling is about much more than removing unwanted equipment from a building.
At Data Recycling of New England, strict processing procedures are designed to keep electronics moving through appropriate reuse, recovery and recycling channels. Equipment that can be reused is prioritized for that purpose, while material that cannot be reused is processed for responsible recycling.
Step 6: Don't Put Electronics in the Regular Trash
Electronics contain valuable materials, but they can also contain substances that require appropriate handling. (This includes swollen batteries used in electronic devices)
EPA notes that electronic equipment can contain materials including lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium and other potentially hazardous substances.
EPA's most recent national Facts and Figures data currently available are from 2018. That year, an estimated 2.7 million tons of selected consumer electronics were generated in the United States, with approximately 38.5% recycled.
These figures are national consumer-electronics statistics rather than school-specific data, but they demonstrate the scale of electronics entering the waste stream.
Schools and universities can help keep valuable materials in circulation by prioritizing reuse and responsible recycling rather than treating obsolete technology as ordinary trash.
A Better School Technology Retirement Checklist
When your institution is preparing for a technology refresh, consider this checklist:
1. Inventory it.
Know what equipment is being retired and where it is located.
2. Identify storage media.
Determine which devices contain hard drives, SSDs, flash storage or other media.
3. Classify the data.
Understand what type of information may be stored on the equipment.
4. Decide whether it can be reused.
Consider redeployment, refurbishment or remarketing before recycling.
5. Sanitize or destroy the data.
Use a documented process appropriate for the type and sensitivity of the information.
6. Document the disposition.
Maintain records of what was processed and how.
7. Understand your recycling partner's process.
Ask how equipment and materials are handled from pickup through final disposition.
8. Schedule technology disposition regularly.
Don't wait until storage rooms are overflowing with obsolete equipment.
The Goal: Secure, Responsible Technology Disposition
Technology refreshes are a normal part of operating today's schools, colleges and universities. The challenge is making sure the end of a device's useful life is managed as carefully as the beginning.
A strong program protects sensitive information, recovers value from usable equipment and keeps obsolete electronics moving into appropriate recycling channels.
For educational institutions, the process should ultimately be about more than getting rid of old computers.
It's about protecting information, preserving value and responsibly managing the technology lifecycle from deployment to final disposition.
Data Recycling of New England Can Help
Data Recycling of New England provides electronics recycling and secure data destruction services for organizations throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New England.
Its Reuse First approach evaluates equipment for potential reuse or remarketing before materials move into the recycling stream. For equipment requiring destruction, the company provides secure hard-drive and SSD destruction, with documentation and reporting to help organizations maintain records of their technology disposition.
The company follows strict recycling and processing practices designed to ensure that electronics are handled responsibly rather than simply diverted from one waste stream to another.
For schools and universities preparing for a technology refresh, equipment pickup or storage-room cleanout, establishing a planned disposition process can make the transition more secure, organized and environmentally responsible.
Have a school or university technology refresh coming up? Data Recycling of New England can help you develop a practical plan for pickup, data destruction, reuse and responsible electronics recycling.