Computer Equipment Disposal Procedure
- Original: Year 2019
- Updated: September 2026
A. Reason for Procedure
Computer equipment that is obsolete, no longer in use, or being removed from service must be disposed of in accordance with the LDEO Solid Waste Management Plan and applicable Columbia University policies.
Secure disposal is important because computers, servers, laptops, external drives, and other electronic equipment may contain University Data, Personally Identifiable Information, research data, credentials, or other sensitive information. This procedure is intended to ensure that equipment is removed from service, transferred, recycled, or destroyed in a manner that protects University information and supports responsible electronic waste handling.
B. Responsible Offices
- The Project Owner, department, or Project IT Custodian responsible for the equipment is responsible for initiating the disposal process.
- LDEO Traffic / Shipping and Receiving is responsible for coordinating pickup and transfer of approved electronic equipment for recycling.
- LDEO IT is responsible for maintaining this procedure and responding to questions regarding data security, storage media, and disposal requirements.
C. Standard Disposal Procedure
- If the equipment has a Columbia University Capital Asset tag, contact Purchasing and request that the item be removed from the University inventory list. You may be required to complete an Equipment Inventory Adjustment form.
- Before equipment is sent for disposal, the responsible department or owner should consider whether the equipment may contain University Data or other sensitive information.
- For routine computer equipment disposal, equipment may be transferred to LDEO Traffic / Shipping and Receiving for pickup and recycling.
- LDEO’s recycling vendor, Monmouth Wire & Computer Recycling, performs data destruction and electronics recycling as part of its standard recycling process. The vendor reports that electronic materials are processed in a controlled facility with key-card access, video surveillance, and full-time security. Storage media are shredded, degaussed, or wiped in accordance with recognized data destruction standards, including DoD 5220.22-M and NIST SP 800-88.
- Equipment that is not owned by Columbia University may be recycled, repurposed, disposed of, or sold at the discretion of the owner, provided that any University Data has first been removed or otherwise protected.
D. Equipment Containing Highly Sensitive Data
Most routine disposal cases are addressed through the standard recycling and vendor data destruction process described above.
However, if the equipment contains data classified at the highest level of sensitivity under Columbia University’s data classification requirements, or if the owner has a specific concern about particularly sensitive research, regulated, confidential, or high-risk data, the owner should open a request with LDEO IT before sending the equipment for disposal.
Please open a ticket with [email protected] and include [Computer Equipment Disposal] in the subject line. LDEO IT will review the request and advise whether additional handling, secure erasure, drive removal, physical destruction, or documentation is appropriate.
This additional review is expected to be needed only in rare cases involving especially sensitive data or situations where the department, project, or investigator requires extra assurance before equipment leaves LDEO control.
E. References
The master policy governing the sanitization and disposal of Columbia University information resources is the Columbia University Sanitization and Disposal of Information Resources Policy. Lamont-Doherty research and administrative groups must adhere to this policy when disposing of computers, storage media, and other information-bearing equipment.