Certificates and Reporting for your electronics
Our reporting and certification process is designed for businesses, schools, hospitals, and municipalities that need verifiable documentation for data destruction and environmental compliance. Whether you’re preparing for an internal audit or external review, our Certificates of Destruction (CODs) and itemized pickup reports provide the documentation you need to demonstrate secure handling of all assets.
When it comes to recycling electronics or paper documents, security and accountability are paramount. Our certificates confirm that sensitive information has been securely destroyed—helping you maintain compliance with privacy laws such as HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and FACTA—and protecting your organization from data-related liability. Our detailed reporting also supports sustainability and ESG goals, giving you confidence that all materials are processed responsibly.
Why Request a Certificate of Destruction?
Certificates of Destruction serve as official documentation that your data-bearing devices or paper records were securely destroyed.
You may need a COD if:
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You handle confidential or regulated data (e.g., patient, financial, or other personal data).
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You are subject to HIPAA, FERPA, PCI-DSS, or GDPR requirements.
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Your organization performs annual IT or compliance audits and needs documentation for verification.
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You want proof of secure recycling for sustainability or vendor due-diligence purposes.
Certificate of Destruction Options
Choose the documentation level that fits your organization’s security and compliance requirements.
Standard Certificate of Destruction (COD)
Includes your organization’s name, pickup date, and total number of devices or paper boxes destroyed or erased.
Ideal for routine electronic recycling or off-site paper shredding where detailed serial tracking is not required.
If you only need erasing without shredding, there is no additional fee.
Certificate of Destruction with Serial Numbers
Available upon request. This enhanced certificate includes the serial number of each processed device, providing structured, audit-ready documentation tied directly to your destruction work order.
Serial-level reporting is commonly requested by organizations operating under regulatory oversight, internal audit requirements, or asset reconciliation standards.
Learn more about our structured serial number logging →
Contact us for pricing and implementation details.
Which Certificate Is Right for You?
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Standard COD → Best for small businesses, nonprofits, and routine pickups that do not require device-level tracking.
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Serial-Number COD → Best for healthcare facilities and enterprise IT departments with compliance or audit reporting needs.
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Paper Shredding COD → Best for companies managing confidential documents, HR records, or financial files requiring proof of destruction.
Certificate Requirements
Certificate Requirements & Chain of Custody
Preparation for Pickup
Whenever possible, please remove hard drives or SSDs from computers and place them in a sealed box prior to pickup. This helps ensure an accurate count and a smooth, secure process. If your devices cannot be dismantled in advance, let us know when scheduling—we’ll handle removal at our facility for a small labor fee.
For more information on prepartion and CODs for On-Site shredding please visit the On-Site Shredding page
Custom Certificate Requests
We understand that every organization’s documentation requirements are different. If your business, municipality, or institution needs additional details included on your Certificate of Destruction—such as project names, asset tags, pickup locations, or specific reporting formats—just let us know when scheduling your pickup or on-site shredding. We’ll tailor your COD to meet your internal record-keeping, audit, or compliance needs.
How We Handle COD Requests
When scheduling your pickup, please let us know if you need a Certificate of Destruction and specify whether your devices require erasing or shredding.
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Erasing CODs confirm secure data sanitization to NIST 800-88 standards.
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Shredding CODs verify that your drives were physically destroyed beyond recovery.
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When an erasure fails due to hardware damage or encryption, we transfer the device to a certified R2 downstream processor for verified destruction.
All materials are transported in fully enclosed, GPS-tracked trucks directly to our secure facility for processing. While individual lock boxes are not used, every pickup remains sealed and continuously monitored from your site to our warehouse.
Devices with Integrated Storage (On-Board Data)
Some modern equipment—such as tablets, iMacs, M1 MacBooks, smartphones, and credit-card terminals—contains internal data chips that require dismantling and battery removal before shredding. A small per-item labor fee applies to ensure safe and environmentally compliant processing.
Reporting Process
Comprehensive Pickup Reports
After each pickup, we provide a detailed itemized list that includes the count and description of each item collected. This ensures you have a clear record of all materials handled by our team.
For municipalities, we offer annual tonnage reports, provided we receive prior notification. These reports help track the volume of materials recycled, supporting your sustainability goals.
Should you require any other types of reporting, please inform us, and we will endeavor to accommodate your requests to the best of our ability.
Asset Tagging & Audit Reporting (Optional Add-On Service)
For organizations that require detailed accountability, we offer asset tagging and audit-level reporting as an optional add-on service. Each device can be labeled with a unique identifier and recorded by make, model, and serial number, including associated drive serials when applicable.
Our audit reports can include categorized weights and counts by equipment type, providing complete traceability from pickup through final processing or destruction. This level of documentation is ideal for compliance audits, internal recordkeeping, and customers who need serialized confirmation of data destruction.
Because this process requires additional handling, scanning, and verification, asset tagging and detailed audit reporting are billed separately from standard recycling or shredding services. Pricing varies depending on volume, organization, and reporting requirements.
Note: Devices should be separated by category when possible to ensure accurate reporting.
Looking to recover value from reusable equipment instead of requesting audit-level documentation?
Visit our Buy-Back Program for fast, fixed-value offers.
