Sustainability vs. Security? Why You Don’t Have to Choose

21 May, 2026

Sustainability vs. Security? Why You Don’t Have to Choose

According to IBM’s 2025 Cost of a Data Breach Report with the Ponemon Institute, the global average cost of a breach is $4.44 million. In the U.S., that figure skyrockets to $10.22 million. That number is also why the instinct for most IT teams is to destroy devices after they have been used. However, sustainability has come a long way. It is no longer a hindrance to security. The ITAD program can provide certified, auditable data destruction as well as maximize reuse, refurbishment, and responsible recycling. 

Security and sustainability need not be mutually exclusive. In fact, if done right, they can complement each other.

Where the Myth Comes From

The “destroy everything” instinct stems from high-profile data breaches linked to hard drives that were not properly wiped and ended up in secondhand markets or recycling streams. Unfortunately, data breaches are still happening. And when a CISO reads about sensitive customer records appearing on a refurbished laptop sold on eBay, the natural reaction is to mandate physical destruction across the board.

But there’s also a knowledge gap at play. Many decision-makers aren’t aware that modern data sanitization methods can render data completely unrecoverable without accessing the hardware itself. However, standards such as NIST SP 800-88 provide clear guidance on software-based data erasure that meets federal requirements. Wiping protocols from the DoD grade go even further. Technology has caught up with the threat. But perception hasn’t done the same.

How a Good ITAD Program Delivers Both

Companies that do this correctly construct processes in which each step serves both goals. Here’s what it looks like in practice:

1. Certified Data Sanitization Comes First

Before evaluation, each device goes through certified data destruction. No exceptions. 

For functional drives, software-based erasure, following NIST SP 800-88 guidelines, renders the data unrecoverable. The process writes over every sector on the drive and checks the result. However, the IT equipment with damaged media or subject to heightened security requirements is physically shredded or crushed.

For each device, a serialized Certificate of Destruction is issued. It is a specific record that documents the device serial number, sanitization method used, and verification result. This documentation is necessary to keep the CISO, the compliance team, and the external auditors happy. When a regulator asks what happened to a particular laptop, you have a clear, defensible answer.

2. Then Triage: Reuse, Refurbish, or Recycle

Once the data is gone, the hardware is tested, which is where sustainability comes in, and much of the value is recovered.

It is here that your team answers critical questions like: Can the device be refurbished and sold as a certified device? Does it have parts that could be harvested to repair other devices? Or is it at the real end-of-life and needs to be subjected to material recovery? 

A well-structured program captures the highest-value outcome for each device, rather than defaulting to the lowest common denominator. At Close the Loop, we repair, test, and resell functional laptops. Nonfunctional units are scrapped to recover parts and materials. And anything that can’t be reused is responsibly recycled, with no material going to landfill. The sustainability officer and the CFO are thus satisfied as the recovered resale value and material credits offset disposal costs.

3. Full Chain-of-Custody Reporting

Documentation pulls it all together. A fully developed ITAD program will track where every device is from pickup through to the end result, whether that’s reselling the device, parts harvesting, or recycling.

That reporting does double duty. It proves data compliance and an auditable trail to the security team. For the sustainability team, it provides tangible metrics such as diversion rates, carbon savings, materials recovered, and devices given a second life. You get one integrated record that satisfies both sets of stakeholders, rather than two separate reporting streams. For companies that need to comply with ESG reporting requirements, this kind of data flows directly into Scope 3 disclosures.

Balancing Sustainability and Security With Close the Loop

For Close the Loop, security and sustainability are two sides of the same process. We wipe all data-bearing devices and physically destroy them to DoD standards, and provide serialized Certificates of Destruction for each asset. 

Once the data is secured, Close the Loop ensures maximum value with certified refurbishment, with everything else recycled with a zero-landfill guarantee. Your security team gets the proof, the sustainability team is given metrics, and the finance team gets value back. Contact us today to see how we can work together.