Hard drive destruction
Hard drive destruction physically shreds the drive so the data on it cannot be read again. It covers spinning hard drives, SSDs, laptops, phones, USB sticks, backup tapes and the drives inside printers and copiers. Done properly, each drive's serial number is recorded before it goes in, and those serials appear on the certificate.
Prices depend heavily on volume. A supplier's pricing published on the government Digital Marketplace shows on-site drive shredding at £2 to £2.60 a drive in batches of 250 to 1,000, with a day rate of £650 or more.
Shredded on site, batches of 250 or more£2 to £2.60 a drivea guide, not a quote
When drives need destroying
- Laptops, desktops or servers are being replaced and the old drives are not going to be reused.
- A device failed and cannot be wiped, so erasure cannot be verified.
- Old backup tapes, CDs or USB sticks have turned up in a cupboard or a purge.
- Leased copiers and printers are going back, and their internal drives hold scanned documents.
- Your policy, a client or a regulator requires physical destruction rather than wiping for certain data.
What hard drive destruction costs
| Item | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Hard drive shredded on site, in batches of 250 to 1,000 G-Cloud 15 supplier pricing document, January 2026 | £2 to £2.60 a drive |
| On-site day rate for those batches Same document, 250 to 1,000 drives | £650 to £2,000 |
| Laptop disposal Same document, per unit | £12.50 |
| Small batches, under about 50 drives Usually priced per job, often alongside a paper collection | quoted per job |
Where our information comes from
Drive prices come from a supplier's published pricing document on the government Digital Marketplace (G-Cloud 15, January 2026), read November 2026. We found no trustworthy published per-drive price for small batches, so we have not invented one. A guide for budgeting, not a quote.
What the guidance says
The National Cyber Security Centre and the ICO both treat drives differently from paper.
The NCSC's guidance on secure sanitisation and disposal of storage media says data should still be erased before destruction where possible, then the media physically destroyed to particles of 6 mm or less where destruction is the chosen route, with the particle size checked afterwards. It notes that degaussing only works on magnetic media and not every degausser suits every drive.
Spinning drives and SSDs are different
A traditional hard drive stores data on magnetic platters. An SSD stores it on flash memory chips, which are small. A shredder setting that leaves a hard drive in pieces a few centimetres across can leave SSD chips whole. Ask the contractor what particle size they achieve for SSDs specifically, and whether SSDs go through a finer process.
Security levels for drives
The DIN 66399 scheme, now international as ISO/IEC 21964, grades hard drive destruction from H-1 (made inoperable) to H-7 (particles of 5 mm² or less). Levels H-4 and above set a maximum particle size: 2,000 mm² at H-4, 320 mm² at H-5 and 10 mm² at H-6. BS EN 15713:2023 uses this family of standards for its security levels.
Erasure or destruction?
Certified erasure lets a drive be reused or resold and can be the greener choice. Destruction is final and suits failed drives and the most sensitive data. Many organisations do both: erase, then destroy. The NCSC lists recognised schemes for sanitisation providers, including its own CAS-S scheme for central government suppliers and ADISA certification.
Your records
The ICO expects organisations to keep a log of devices awaiting destruction and their location, to use secure methods such as hardware shredding, and to check destruction certificates match what was sent (ICO toolkit). A list of serial numbers, matched against the certificate, is that log.
What to ask a drive destruction firm
Paper shredding firms do not all handle media well. These questions find the ones that do.
Are serial numbers recorded?
Each drive's serial should be scanned or written down before destruction and appear on the certificate.
What particle size for SSDs?
Ask for the SSD result separately. NCSC guidance refers to particles of 6 mm or less.
On site or off site?
Drives can be shredded at your premises in large batches, or collected in locked containers for destruction at a facility.
Do you erase first?
NCSC advises erasure before destruction where possible. Some firms offer both.
What certifications do you hold?
NCSC names CAS-S and ADISA as examples for sanitisation providers. Ask which apply and check them.
What happens to the scrap?
Shredded drives contain metals that can be recovered. Ask where the material goes after destruction.
List the drives and devices, and we will find a firm that destroys them with serial numbers on the certificate.
Get pricesHow drive destruction works
Inventory
List each drive or device and keep them locked away until collection, as the ICO expects.
Serials recorded
The contractor scans or notes each serial number, ideally with you present.
Shred
Drives go through a dedicated media shredder, on site or at a facility, to the agreed particle size.
Certificate with serials
A certificate listing every serial, which you match against your own list.
Questions about hard drive destruction
How much does hard drive shredding cost?
For large on-site batches, a supplier's pricing on the government Digital Marketplace shows £2 to £2.60 a drive for 250 to 1,000 drives, with day rates from £650. Small batches are usually priced per job, often added to a paper collection.
Is wiping a hard drive enough?
Verified erasure with suitable software can be enough when the drive works and will be reused. For failed drives, or where your policy requires it, physical destruction is the safer route. NCSC guidance suggests erasing before destroying where possible.
Can I destroy a hard drive myself?
Drilling or hammering a drive damages it but can leave platter or chip fragments readable by a specialist, and leaves you with no certificate. For a business, a destruction service with recorded serials is the better evidence.
Do SSDs need a different process?
Often, yes. SSD memory chips are small, so a coarse shred can leave chips intact. Ask what particle size the contractor achieves for SSDs.
What should a hard drive destruction certificate show?
The date, your organisation and address, the method, the security level or particle size, and the serial number of every drive destroyed. Check it against your own inventory.
Can phones and tablets be destroyed the same way?
Yes. Phones, tablets, USB sticks, memory cards and tapes are all shredded by media destruction services. List them separately from hard drives so the certificate is clear.
Keep reading
- On-site shredding
Destroyed outside your building while you watch.
- One-off shredding and purges
Archive clear-outs and office moves.
- What a certificate of destruction should show
Fields to check before you file it.
- Confidential waste disposal cost
Estimator and published contract values.
Get prices for hard drive destruction
Three short steps: your postcode, what needs destroying, and how to reach you. About two minutes.
A free matching service, not a confidential waste contractor. We find one that covers your postcode and tell you who it is first. Your details go nowhere until you agree.
Thanks, your enquiry is in.
- Within one working day we will email or call to tell you which confidential waste contractor covers your postcode.
- Your details reach that firm only if you say yes.
- They confirm containers, collection dates and a written price. No marketing from us, ever.