Secure Hard Drive Destruction in Chicago
On-site crushing, shredding, and data wiping aligned with the DoD 5220.22-M standard and NIST SP 800-88 guidelines — with a serialized certificate of destruction on every job.
On-Site Hard Drive Crusher — Addison, IL
Our Addison, IL facility is equipped with an on-site hard drive crusher, providing witnessed physical destruction that meets DoD-standard requirements. No drives leave the facility intact.
Physical crushing is one of the most defensible destruction methods available for government, healthcare, and financial services clients. It eliminates chain-of-custody gaps that come with off-site transport before destruction, and the result is designed to be unrecoverable.
Choose the Right Level of Destruction
Match the method to your security requirements — from witnessed crushing to NIST-aligned data wiping.
On-Site Hard Drive Crushing
Our Addison, IL facility is equipped with an on-site hard drive crusher, providing witnessed physical destruction that meets DoD-standard requirements. No drives leave the facility intact. Physical crushing is one of the most defensible destruction methods for government, healthcare, and financial services clients.
DoD-standard physical destructionHard Drive Shredding
Industrial shredders physically reduce drives to fragments smaller than 2mm. The resulting material is designed to be unrecoverable. Certificate of destruction with individual drive serial numbers provided on every job.
DoD 5220.22-M standard alignedData Wiping (NIST 800-88 Guidelines)
For drives being reused or resold, we perform software-based data sanitization aligned with NIST SP 800-88 guidelines. Full audit log and certificate provided. Drives verified clean before leaving custody.
NIST SP 800-88 guidelinesWhat We Destroy
Chicago Shredder handles all types of magnetic and solid-state storage media. If it stores data, we can destroy it securely.
Frequently Asked Questions
What data destruction standards do you follow?
Chicago Shredder follows the DoD 5220.22-M standard and NIST SP 800-88 guidelines for physical media destruction. These are industry reference standards — DoD 5220.22-M establishes Department of Defense sanitization requirements, while NIST SP 800-88 is the NIST guidelines document for media sanitization. As part of the STS Recycling Family, all electronics are processed through STS Electronic Recycling, Inc.'s R2v3-certified facility.
What's the difference between hard drive crushing, shredding, and punching?
Crushing uses an on-site hard drive crusher at our Addison, IL facility — drives are physically crushed and cannot leave intact. Shredding uses industrial equipment to reduce drives to fragments of 2mm or smaller, the most thorough method. Punching uses a hydraulic punch to penetrate drive platters, which can be done on-site at your facility. Our team can recommend the right method based on your security requirements and volume.
Do I get a certificate of destruction?
Yes. Every hard drive destruction job includes a Certificate of Data Destruction listing each drive's serial number (when visible), the destruction method used, date of destruction, and the certifying technician. This certificate is your compliance documentation.
Can you come to our office for on-site destruction?
Yes. We offer on-site hard drive destruction at your facility in Chicago and the surrounding metro area. This allows you to witness destruction and maintain visual chain of custody throughout. Contact us to schedule on-site service.
How many drives can you handle?
Chicago Shredder handles any volume — from a single drive to thousands. We work with businesses of all sizes, from small offices doing hardware refreshes to large corporations decommissioning data centers.
What happens to the destroyed drives?
After physical destruction, the metal fragments and materials are responsibly recycled through our certified downstream network. We separate precious metals and base metals for proper materials recovery. No materials are knowingly disposed of in landfills.
Ready to Destroy Your Drives?
Get a serialized certificate of destruction and stay audit-ready. Call today or schedule a pickup online.
Part of the STS Recycling Family. All electronics are processed through STS Electronic Recycling, Inc.'s R2v3-certified facility.