Consolidating offices produces a pile of IT nobody planned for. Desks that were in use on Friday are surplus on Monday, and the equipment on them holds client data that an insurer or broker has to account for.

This broker group merged several Thames Valley offices into fewer sites, retiring around 250 devices. Surplex UK Limited provides IT disposal for insurers and brokers and IT disposal across the Thames Valley.

The Challenge: Client Data on Surplus Desks

The broker had to show where client records held on retired equipment had gone. FCA systems and controls obligations mean the firm has to evidence its arrangements, and a disposal with no per-device record does not evidence anything.

The Surplex Solution: Recorded Per Device, Not Per Pallet

Every device was recorded against its serial number at the point of collection, before anything left the office. Drives holding client records were destroyed and certified individually, so the broker could evidence the disposal of a named machine rather than a consignment.

  • 1. Collected as Each Office Closed

    Collections followed the consolidation schedule, so equipment left as each office was vacated rather than accumulating in a corridor.

  • 2. Destroyed to a Named Standard

    Drives were shredded to BS EN 15713:2023, the Destroy method defined by NIST 800-88. Where value was recovered from hardware, data was erased with Certus certified software, the Purge method under the same standard.

  • 3. Documentation Built for a Regulator

    A certificate of destruction naming every device serial number, an itemised asset report separating data-bearing devices from the rest, and WEEE evidence notes for the recycled fraction.

  • Sector

    Insurance

  • Scope

    Several Thames Valley offices consolidated into fewer sites

  • Assets

    Around 250 devices

  • Key Win

    Records fit for FCA systems and controls obligations

"Every machine has its own certificate. When compliance asked how client data was disposed of, I had the answer per device."

Compliance Manager, insurance broker

The Results: An Evidenced Disposal

The broker could account for every retired device individually, which is what an FCA-regulated firm needs when asked how client data was disposed of. Around 250 devices were cleared across the consolidation without a separate disposal budget.

Metric
Outcome
  • Scale

    Around 250 devices across several offices

  • Evidence

    Certificate of destruction per device serial number

  • Destruction Standard

    BS EN 15713:2023, the NIST 800-88 Destroy method

  • Cost

    Free. Recovered value covered the collection in full

Why Insurers, Brokers and Managing General Agents Trust Surplex

Surplex UK Limited works with brokers, insurers and managing general agents, and holds FSQS registration for financial services supply chains. There is no minimum quantity, so a single laptop is booked the same way as a full estate. Most customers find their collection is free, because the value recovered from redundant hardware is set against the cost of collection, destruction and recycling. Where it does not cover that cost, a small logistics and processing fee is payable, agreed upfront.

Team Meeting 1

Frequently asked questions

A certificate of destruction naming every device serial number, an itemised asset report separating data-bearing devices from the rest, and WEEE evidence notes. The record is per device rather than per consignment, so a specific machine can be evidenced.

Yes. Collections follow the vacation schedule so equipment leaves as each office closes, rather than accumulating on site while dates move.

Yes. Surplex UK Limited runs regular collections across the Thames Valley, Berkshire and the M4 corridor, alongside Greater London and the rest of England, Wales and Scotland.

No. There is no minimum quantity, and a single device is booked the same way as a full estate. Most customers find their collection is free, because the value recovered from redundant hardware is set against the cost of collection, destruction and recycling. Where it does not cover it, a small logistics and processing fee is payable, agreed upfront.

Capabilities Used in This Project

Get in Touch About Your IT Recycling Needs

We provide IT recycling services for organisations of all sizes across England, Wales and Scotland.

Whether you’re recycling a few old laptops, decommissioning a data centre, or need secure data destruction, our team will help you dispose of IT equipment compliantly and responsibly.

Prefer to speak with us directly?

Call: +44 (0)1684 252583
Email: info@surplex.co.uk
Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm