- Rack, tower and blade servers and storage arrays
- Switches, routers, firewalls and patch panels
- Racks, cabinets, PDUs and busway components
- UPS units and their lead-acid or lithium-ion battery strings
- Structured cabling and cooling tied to the retired footprint
- PBX phone systems, handsets and laptops from the same refresh
Front-bay drives get the attention, but boot drives, M.2 modules and SD cards on motherboards, RAID cache, and the saved configurations and credentials on network devices all need a decision too. Before pickup, each asset class gets a code (redeploy, evaluate for reuse, wipe, destroy or recycle), and anything without a code is held for review. See server disposal for where to look inside a chassis.
Retired battery strings are removed, sorted by chemistry and packed in battery containers. They go through our battery recycling process, apart from the general electronics, and the quantities appear on your closeout records.
Our technicians disconnect, de-rack and palletize the equipment and haul it on our own trucks, working within your change-control windows. Newer servers and network gear may carry resale value after testing, and any recovery is reported on its own line. Larger exits are handled as data center and UPS decommissioning projects.
Data halls, server rooms and tech offices retire servers, storage arrays, switches, racks, PDUs, UPS units and their battery strings, and structured cabling. Our technicians map every drive before de-racking, wipe or shred the media, and send UPS batteries through our battery process instead of the e-waste stream. Each project closes with an inventory reconciled against your release list.
Simplify your compliance and disposal process with bundled recycling services that handle both electronic devices and batteries in one streamlined solution.
Our scheduled, route-based pickups cover all major regions of California—ensuring efficient, on-time service no matter where you operate.
We provide clearly labeled, tamper-resistant containers to ensure safe and compliant collection of electronic waste and batteries at your location.
Modern Waste Solutions has served businesses and communities across California with dependable, environmentally responsible recycling solutions for over two decades.
We adhere to all California and federal regulations, ensuring your electronic and battery waste is managed with complete transparency and environmental responsibility.
Reviews
A little bit off the beaten track in Natomas, but Modern Waste quickly and efficiently helped me recycle my broken Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries at a reasonable $/lb fee (Sac county e-waste will not accept these items). Ramiro and Vincent were very friendly and helpful.
Chris was awesome! He came in and picked up all of the e-waste we had ready for him. He was polite and professional throughout the entire process. He handled the equipment with care, including the site equipment that was already in place. I am very happy with his service and appreciate the great job he did.
Aaron and Vincent were awesome, excellent customer service!
Great guys, excellent customer service, highly recommend!
Polite, quick and easy.
Chris from modern waste was the most outstanding respectful person I ever met my life when he was done he offered to sweep the floors. He offered so much even though he was limited on time he went out of his way and he’s over beyond best guy I ever met thank you so much for your service services Dan ITG.
We have answers.
Our technicians match the asset list to rack, room and disposition before deinstallation begins. That keeps live, reusable and destroy-only equipment apart during a shutdown with a tight deadline.
Each asset class gets a code before pickup: redeploy, evaluate for reuse, wipe, destroy or recycle. Anything that arrives without a code is held for review. Items are asset-tagged before they leave, so the custody record matches what actually left the building.
Front-bay drives are not the only data. Boot drives, M.2 modules and SD cards on motherboards, RAID cache, and the saved configurations and credentials on switches and firewalls all need a decision too. Our server disposal page lists where to look.
- Equipment: We bring pallets, gaylord boxes and battery containers sized to the footprint being retired.
- Training: Your team labels racks and devices with their disposition codes, and we confirm them before work starts.
- Pick-up: Our technicians disconnect, de-rack and palletize the equipment, then haul it on our own trucks during your change window.
- Tracking: Asset tags and serial numbers are recorded against your release list.
- Processing: Drives are wiped or shredded, reusable hardware is tested for resale, UPS batteries go through the battery process, and metals and cable are recovered.
- Reports: You get a reconciled inventory, erasure reports or destruction certificates, and a certificate of recycling.
Structured cabling removed as part of the scope is kept apart from the electronics and sent for metal recovery. Tell us in advance whether cable is included and whether you want it pulled or only collected once your contractor has removed it.
Telecom equipment is handled like any other data-bearing hardware. PBX phone systems, IP handsets, routers, switches and firewalls can store call logs, configurations and credentials, so they receive a wipe or destroy decision before recycling. Patch panels and racks go to material recovery.
Our ISO 14001 environmental management system covers the downstream path, and the certificate of recycling shows where the material went.
Send an inventory or a representative sample along with the site address, dock and elevator access, and the date the space must be empty. A rough list is enough to get started.
Also tell us about anything that changes the crew or the equipment we bring: battery chemistry and string count, lease returns that need sanitization records, change-control windows, and whether cabling and cooling tied to the retired footprint are included.
Request a quote through the quote form or call (916) 339-3676. Our Sacramento team schedules business projects across California.
Data center recycling is the removal and processing of retired infrastructure: servers, storage arrays, network switches and routers, racks and cabinets, PDUs, UPS units and their batteries, structured cabling, and cooling tied to the retired space.
Data-bearing components get a wipe or destruction decision first. Only then is the hardware removed, tested for reuse or resale, and recycled. Batteries are pulled out and handled separately because they are universal waste in California and a fire risk when damaged.
For a larger exit or consolidation, see data center and UPS decommissioning.
UPS systems draw on battery strings, usually sealed lead-acid (VRLA) or lithium-ion. When a UPS is retired, its batteries are removed, sorted by chemistry and packed for transport in battery containers, never loaded with the general electronics.
They then go through our battery recycling process, and the quantities appear on your closeout records. Before pickup, flag any swollen, leaking or damaged cells so they can be packaged separately.
Our article on lead-acid and UPS battery recycling covers storage and preparation in more detail.
Retired battery strings tend to stay in battery rooms long after the UPS they served is gone. That causes several problems:
- Aging or damaged lithium-ion cells are a fire risk, and lead-acid batteries can leak electrolyte.
- California regulates spent batteries as universal waste, with limits on how long they can be stored and requirements for labeling.
- Heavy battery cabinets take up floor space that the next deployment needs.
Scheduling battery removal as part of the decommission takes care of all three and puts the batteries on the same closeout record as the rest of the equipment.
These questions show how a vendor actually runs a shutdown:
- Does their own crew de-rack and transport, or is that subcontracted?
- Do they map boot media and network device configurations as well as front-bay drives?
- Is resale recovery reported separately from the service charges?
- Are UPS batteries kept out of the e-waste stream?
- Will the closeout inventory reconcile against your release list?
Also ask for current ISO certificates. Modern Waste Solutions holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001, and our technicians do the removal work themselves.
- Separate live equipment from retired equipment on the inventory before the shutdown window opens.
- Decide on wipe, shred, reuse and recycle outcomes per asset class ahead of removal day.
- Record battery chemistries, rigging needs, cable scope and access restrictions.
- Build the project phases around uptime, safety rules and your change-control process.
- Check lease terms for any equipment that has to go back to the lessor with a sanitization record.
Share photos, quantities and deadlines with your request, and we will point out any exclusions or open questions before scheduling.
Colocation providers closing data halls, companies moving workloads to the cloud, and IT departments retiring infrastructure after a refresh are the most common customers. Technology companies consolidating offices, labs and server rooms, and firms retiring old PBX and network gear, use the same service.
A single server closet counts too. For a few racks, server disposal is usually the better fit. For an ongoing program across laptops, desktops and servers, see ITAD services.