Guide
The questions that separate a documented ITAD program from a pickup service.
Short answer
Choose an ITAD company on evidence, not claims. The right provider can show current certifications, explain exactly how equipment is controlled from your site to its facility, produce serial-level reports and certificates, tell you where material goes downstream, and explain how any resale value is calculated and shared. Ask every shortlisted vendor the same questions and compare the answers side by side.
Ask which certifications the provider holds, which facilities they cover, and when they were last audited. R2v3 addresses responsible electronics reuse and recycling; ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 address environmental and health-and-safety management. Confirm that the facility processing your equipment is the one that is certified.
Ask where data destruction physically takes place, which methods are used for HDDs versus SSDs, and whether you can witness it. Be wary of any vendor that cannot tell you where and how your drives will be destroyed.
Ask for a sample report before you sign.
Equipment that is not resold goes to downstream processors. Ask how those processors are vetted and what reporting you receive about where material went. Responsible downstream management is a core requirement of R2v3.
If you have several sites or sites in different countries, ask how the provider will cover them, whether collections can be consolidated, and how access windows, loading docks and insurance certificates are handled for data center or multi-tenant buildings.
If your equipment has resale value, ask how it is assessed, whether the model is a purchase, a revenue share or a credit against service cost, and what settlement report you will receive. A credible provider will also tell you plainly when equipment has no resale value.
Related USACA services
A single accountable partner for every retired laptop, server, switch and storage array — with the paperwork to prove what happened to each one.
The documentation behind an auditable IT disposal: a certificate for the file and a serial-level report that proves it.
Rack-level ITAD built for live facilities: escorted access, per-serial evidence and settlement on the equipment worth reselling.
Turn retired hardware into recovered value, with data destruction, logistics and settlement handled on one engagement.
More guides: How businesses destroy hard drives · Hard drive shredding cost factors · What is ITAD? · Data center decommissioning checklist
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