Data center decommissioning: process, ITAD and companies

Decommissioning a data center is a chain-of-custody project: inventory, data sanitization, de-racking, transport, resale or recycling, and a certificate for every asset. Below: the process, the cost drivers, a checklist and 4 companies that state decommissioning or ITAD services on their own sites.

What does data center decommissioning include?

Asset inventory and tagging, data sanitization to NIST 800-88 or physical destruction, de-installation and de-racking, cable removal, packing and transport, remarketing of servers, drives and network gear, certified recycling of the rest, and certificates of data destruction and recycling per asset. Larger projects add site restoration, lease-exit obligations and hand-over to the landlord or next tenant.

The decommissioning process

Scope and inventory: every asset tagged, serials captured, data-bearing devices flagged.
Data sanitization: on-site erasure or shredding with a certificate per drive, before anything leaves the hall.
De-installation: power-down sequence, cable removal, de-racking, packing for transport.
Disposition: resale (remarketing) for reusable gear, certified recycling for the rest, revenue share reported back.
Close-out: certificates of destruction and recycling, final inventory reconciliation, site restoration if required by the lease.

What drives the cost

Number of data-bearing devices and the required method (erasure vs. physical destruction) — sanitization is priced per unit.
Resale value of the fleet: recent GPU and server generations can turn the project cash-positive; end-of-life gear is a cost.
Labour and logistics: rack count, site access hours, distance to the processing facility, on-site vs. off-site destruction.
Compliance scope: chain-of-custody reporting, NAID/R2/e-Stewards requirements, witness destruction.

Buyer checklist

Ask which certifications cover the specific facility that will process your assets, not the company as a whole.
Require a per-serial certificate of data destruction and a reconciliation against your inventory.
Get remarketing terms in writing: revenue share, valuation method, timeline to settlement.
Confirm on-site sanitization is possible if your policy forbids drives leaving the building.

Companies offering decommissioning and ITAD

Recorded from each company's own website on 2026-09-26: what it states it does, where it operates and which certifications it names. Not a ranking; no company pays for inclusion. Missing companies were not yet checked.

Company	Headquarters	Regions	Stated services	Certifications named	Source
Iron Mountain	Boston, USA	North America, EMEA, APAC	Asset inventory tracking, NIST 800-88 data sanitization (ADISA-certified), equipment removal, remarketing, secure destruction and e-waste recycling with certificates of destruction	ADISA; R2 or e-Stewards-certified downstream recyclers	Iron Mountain — Data center decommissioning · 2026-09-26
Sims Lifecycle Services	Global (Sims Limited)	Americas, EMEA, APAC	Data center decommissioning, server reconfiguration, critical spare-parts recovery, ITAD and data destruction	R2v3, ISO 27001, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001	Sims Lifecycle Services · 2026-09-26
SK tes	Singapore	40+ countries, 40+ processing facilities	IT asset disposition, data center decommissioning with smart-hands support and cable removal, data destruction, resale and recycling	ISO 9001, 14001, 45001; 31 R2-certified facilities	SK tes · 2026-09-26
ERI	Fresno, USA	United States (all ZIP codes); partner network in 46 countries	Decommissioning, on-site data destruction, resale, electronics recycling	R2v3, e-Stewards, NAID at all eight US facilities	ERI · 2026-09-26

FAQ

Does Coloprice provide decommissioning and ITAD?

No. Coloprice is an independent data portal. This page explains the service and lists companies recorded from their own websites; a brief submitted below is routed to matching providers under a disclosed referral arrangement. Rankings and the Coloprice Score are never for sale.

How were the decommissioning and ITAD companies selected?

Each entry was recorded from the company's own website on the date shown, capturing what it states it does, where it operates and which certifications it names. The list grows as companies are checked; absence means not yet checked.

How do I get comparable quotes for decommissioning and ITAD?

Send the same brief to several providers: scope, location, asset or rack count, timeline, compliance requirements and the deliverables you expect (certificates, validation reports). Ask for line-item pricing so you can compare like for like.

Get quotes for decommissioning and ITAD

One brief, several providers, same terms. Coloprice routes it and stays independent — no company pays for position.