As a best practice, any devices containing data should be erased or wiped when no longer needed or used. The Office of Information Security has a policy on the definition of sensitive data and how to handle end point devices. Surplus has a hard drive degausser that units can use for hard drives.
All IT equipment and electronics should be sent to surplus. Departments can drop off surplus IT equipment or submit a work request to FMD Support Services. All devices must be documented on a Surplus Transfer Form.
After being received at the UGA Surplus Warehouse, electronics and IT equipment are recycled through the mandatory Georgia DOAS recycling program. Per Georgia DOAS Surplus, the contract requires that all disposals conform to US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations and that all data storage devices are destroyed in a way data is unrecoverable. Essentially, all electronics are de-manufactured (shredded) to their base components (plastic, metal, glass, etc.) that are then recycled. Use of the DOAS contract is mandatory.