Secure server disposal in a circular economy: how to recycle and reuse without risk

In this article

• Server recycling presents an opportunity for the Circular Economy
• Server reuse, refurbishment and recycling
• Sustainable Servers: Why refurbishment Is worth the trade-off

Server recycling presents an opportunity for the Circular Economy

As more businesses move to the cloud, demand for data centres is rising fast. To keep up, more large facilities are being built. One major example is the UK government’s recent approval of a £10 billion data centre in Northumberland. Environmental groups have criticised the plan, warning that the energy use and resources needed could make it harder for the UK to hit its net zero targets. But with thousands of servers set to be installed, there’s also a big chance to cut carbon and support the circular economy right from the start.

How servers have already started a circular economy in e-waste

The environmental concerns are valid, and data centres are notably resource intensive. Taking some examples from Ireland: In 2022, it was estimated that they consumed around 20% of Ireland’s total electricity usage. Ireland hosts major facilities for companies like Microsoft, Google, and Meta, which skews the figures somewhat—but that doesn’t diminish the substantial environmental impact.

From an IT recycling and circular economy perspective, however, data centre servers present a unique opportunity. Servers are:

• Modular: They’re designed for easy repair and upgrade, extending their usable life.
• Rich in recoverable materials: Microsoft, for example, has reported that through partnerships with Western Digital and Critical Materials Recycling, it now recovers 90% of materials from its servers without relying on harmful chemicals.
• Serviced by a skilled workforce: With widespread training available for data centre technicians, we already have a ready pool of professionals capable of refurbishing and maintaining servers and their components.

Servers are an ideal starting point for building a circular IT economy in the UK

There’s a growing shift in mindset—from seeing old servers as ‘waste’ to viewing them as valuable, reusable assets. That could mean reusing the whole server or salvaging individual components that are no longer useful in their original setting.

Servers help tackle two of DEFRA’s main challenges to achieving a circular economy: a lack of repairable devices and not enough skilled labour. Servers are both highly repairable and supported by a skilled workforce.

The bigger challenge is the high upfront cost of recovering materials from devices that can’t be repaired. But if data centres choose equipment already circulating in the reuse market, more funding can flow to UK IT recycling firms. This would support investment in advanced recovery technologies—helping the UK reach recovery rates similar to leaders like Microsoft, and pushing us closer to a truly circular economy.

Secure data destruction is paramount

To unlock this potential, decommissioned servers—whether from businesses moving to the cloud or from outdated data centres—need to go to trusted IT recycling companies. These companies must have the tools and expertise to securely wipe data and refurbish servers to current standards.

The first step in ensuring a server enters the circular economy is secure data erasure, which is achieved through:

• Using cryptographic erasure with the latest NCSC-approved software, following NIST 800-88 guidelines to ensure complete data destruction.
• Deploying in-house degaussing and/or shredding for devices where software erasure isn’t possible.
• Providing individual wiping reports with an enhanced data erasure service.

An additional layer of trust in the service is given by employing only DBS-checked staff, using tracked fleet for transport of the equipment and a secure stronghold to store it once on-site. Additionally the data should be erased as soon as possible — ideally within 48 hours of collection.