Hard drive and SSD shredding

Hard drive and SSD shredding on site or off site across the UK, with serial numbers recorded and a certificate of destruction for every drive.

In short: Hard drive and SSD shredding physically destroys storage media into small fragments so the data cannot be recovered, either at your premises in a mobile shredder or at a secure facility. It suits faulty drives, highly sensitive data and organisations whose policy requires destruction. In the UK it typically costs £3 to £10 per drive off site, or £8 to £20 per drive on site plus a visit charge.

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Shredding is the end of the line for a drive. Hard drives are fed through an industrial shredder that tears platters, casings and circuit boards into strips or chips, and SSDs, phones and memory cards go through a finer cutter because their data sits on tiny memory chips that can survive a coarse shred. The particle size matters, and DIN 66399 is the usual way of describing it.

Before anything goes into the shredder, each drive's serial number is scanned and recorded, so the certificate of destruction lists individual drives rather than a weight or a box count. Shredded material then goes for metals recovery and recycling. With on-site shredding you can watch the drives being destroyed, which some organisations require by policy or contract.

What is included

Scanning and recording of each drive serial number before destruction
Shredding of hard drives, SSDs, NVMe drives, backup tapes, USB sticks and memory cards
Finer shredding for SSDs and flash media to a suitable particle size
On-site shredding in a mobile unit at your premises, or off-site at a secure facility
Option for your staff to witness destruction and sign the record
Removal of drives from laptops, desktops and servers before shredding where needed
Certificate of destruction listing each drive, the date and the method
Recycling of shredded material through permitted treatment routes

Who it is for

Faulty or dead drives that cannot be erased and verified
Highly sensitive data such as health, legal, financial or HR records
Organisations whose policy or client contracts require physical destruction
Old backup tapes, USB sticks and loose drives with unknown contents
Sites that require witnessed destruction before media leaves the building

How much does it cost?

As a guide, off-site shredding in the UK usually costs £3 to £10 per drive. On-site shredding is usually £8 to £20 per drive plus a visit charge of around £100 to £300, so it is most cost-effective for larger batches. See our full cost guide.

How it works

Count and classify media

Confirm how many hard drives, SSDs, tapes and other media there are and whether any must be destroyed on site.

Extract and record

Drives are removed from their devices if needed and each serial number is scanned against your list.

Shred

Media goes through the shredder, with flash storage taken to a finer particle size than spinning disks.

Certify

You receive a certificate of destruction listing each drive, plus the waste paperwork for the shredded material.

Hard drive and SSD shredding: FAQs

What particle size should SSDs be shredded to?

Smaller than for hard drives. A single memory chip on an SSD can hold a large amount of data, so a coarse shred that leaves chips intact is not enough. DIN 66399 sets security levels for different media, and for sensitive business data on flash storage providers commonly work to a fine particle size in the region of a few millimetres. Ask any provider what size their shredder produces for SSDs specifically.

Is drilling or hammering a hard drive good enough?

It is better than nothing, but it is not reliable evidence of destruction. Drilling a few holes in a platter leaves most of the surface intact, and hammering an SSD can leave memory chips undamaged. It also gives you no certificate or serial number record. For business data, shredding or certified erasure is the defensible option.

Should we choose on-site or off-site shredding?

Choose on-site if policy, a client contract or the sensitivity of the data means drives must not leave your premises intact, or if you want to witness destruction. Off-site is cheaper per drive and fine for most organisations, provided drives travel in sealed, locked containers with a clear chain of custody and serial numbers are recorded before transit.

Can we keep the drives and still recycle the computers?

Yes. A common approach is to remove drives from the computers, shred the drives, and send the drive-less machines for refurbishment or recycling. Refurbishers can fit new drives, so the computers often still have resale value. It does add a little labour, so mention it at the quoting stage.