As hyperscale data centers grow to meet our digital world’s relentless demand, so too does the responsibility of safeguarding data and managing the environmental impact of outdated equipment.
In a recent issue of the Reverse Logistics Association magazine, SK tes Chief Commercial Officer Eric Ingebretsen explores how next-generation data destruction standards are opening the door to a more sustainable future in his article, 150 Million Opportunities to Transform Technology Into Emissions Savings.
According to NREL, an estimated 50 million hard drives will be decommissioned in U.S. data centers alone by 2025, with global volumes possibly tripling that number. Historically, the majority of these drives have been shredded due to data security concerns—despite the fact that up to 90% are still viable for reuse. The article outlines how the industry can shift away from destruction and toward reuse, dramatically reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with manufacturing new hardware.
At the heart of this transformation is trust—trust that data has been securely and completely removed. The IEEE 2883-2022 standard is positioned as a game-changer. It was developed specifically to handle the complexities of modern storage technologies, such as SSDs and NVMe, where older standards like NIST SP 800-88 often fall short. Unlike traditional shredding, IEEE 2883 offers technology-specific methods for erasure, supporting reuse without compromising security.
As Ingebretsen emphasizes, secure reuse isn’t just good for the environment—it’s also good for business. Extending the life of storage assets offers cost savings while enabling data centers to meet ambitious sustainability goals, like those outlined in the Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact. With accurate emissions tracking, a secure chain of custody, and adherence to modern standards, the data center industry can unlock massive emissions savings—one drive at a time.
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Read the full article in the Reverse Logistics Association magazine here.
About the Author
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Eric Ingebretsen currently serves as Chief Commercial Officer for SK Tes, previously known as TES, where he has board-level responsibility for SK Tes’ global sales and marketing efforts. This includes telling the SK Tes story to raise brand awareness, aligning teams to hit the company’s growth targets, and owning the overall health of SK Tes’ current revenue streams. He has a deep passion for harnessing the power of storytelling, delivering results, and developing his team.
Eric joined SK Tes in 2015; prior to SK Tes, he held various management positions in marketing and business development at SkyTel, Eaton Aerospace, Intechra, Arrow Electronics, and C Spire.
