Tape disposal is now part of the Reconext service portfolio, in partnership with Insurgo Media Services, purpose-built specialists whose approach goes uniquely further than standard methods:
- Patented and proven dual-layer sanitization process
- Unique 3-layer asset tracking process
- Lower power consumption and certified media reuse options delivering stronger ESG performance
- Full audit reporting and proof throughout the entire destruction and sanitization lifecycle
What This Means for You
Reconext can now retire your full data-bearing media asset footprint through a single program, tape included, under one contract and one audit trail, on a global scale
Why Tape Is a Different Challenge
A tape cartridge stores data in two places: the tape spool and the cartridge memory (CM) chip embedded in the housing.
Shredding may destroy the physical cartridge, but it does not destroy the data itself. Modern tape media can now store up to 150TB compressed, meaning a single 10cm strand can contain upwards of 12GB (yes, twelve!) of information. Tape shredding creates a forensic jigsaw puzzle rather than data sanitization.
At the same time, the cartridge memory (CM) chip can survive the shredding process intact and remain fully readable.
This creates a significant compliance and evidential challenge. NIST SP 800-88 Rev.1 and GDPR require organizations to securely sanitize or destroy all residual data-bearing components. Shredding alone does not achieve this outcome for modern tape media.
To address this growing risk, Reconext is introducing an enhanced disposal framework exceeding all industry standards. Through advanced traceability, verified sanitization, ESG-driven recovery processes, and court-defensible certification, organizations gain demonstrable proof of compliant and environmentally responsible tape media disposal.
How It Works
Our tape disposal service is built around Investigo software and Insurgo’s patented technologies, delivering complete traceability from collection through to final certification.
Two disposal pathways are available depending on security, compliance, and ESG requirements.
SWAT (Securely Wipes All Tracks) is designed for environments demanding the highest levels of security assurance. The process permanently sanitizes both the tape film and the embedded cartridge memory (CM) chip in a single process, ensuring no residual data remains accessible and rendering the cartridge unusable for future operation and better recycling options.
KIT (Kills Information on Tape) provides secure certified sanitization while preserving the physical cartridge and its servo bands for reuse. The process securely erases all tape data, updates the CM user information, and allows the media to be re-certified for reintroduction into the circular economy. In one Insurgo engagement, 25,000 tapes originally allocated for shredding were instead sanitized through KIT and resold for over £500,000.
Both processes operate through the Investigo audit and chain-of-custody platform, which authenticates each cartridge, captures CM chip data, tracks every stage with time-stamped records, and produces itemized, court-defensible certification.
Insurgo’s technologies have been independently validated through University of South Wales, assessed alongside tape manufacturers, the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and tested against specialist forensic data recovery techniques, confirming zero recoverable data even against advanced recovery attempts.
What the Process Looks Like
Here’s how a typical engagement runs:
- Scoping: You provide a manifest of cartridges in scope. Anything not on the list cannot be processed, preventing accidental destruction.
- On-site validation: We scan every cartridge on your premises and confirm the inventory before custody changes hands.
- Erasure or destruction: Performed on-site for clients who require it, or at a secure facility where tapes can travel.
- Certificate of destruction: A time-stamped, itemized record issued for every cartridge, suitable for audit and regulatory review.
Our tape disposal process handles up to 7,000 cartridges per day, roughly seven times the output of industrial shredding, and has been deployed across engagements spanning 80,000 cartridges in 12 countries.
Enterprise Grade Assurance
The partnership combines advanced tape sanitization technologies with internationally recognized compliance frameworks, including ISO 9001, 14001, 27001, 22301, 45001, Cyber Essentials, and GDPR-aligned processing.
Together with Investigo audit tracking and court-defensible certification, the service delivers secure, auditable, and ESG-conscious tape disposal at enterprise scale.
How to Get Started
To add tape to your Reconext program, or to get started for the first time, contact your account representative or contact us here.
For a deeper look at the Insurgo technology behind our tape disposal offering, visit https://insurgo.co.uk/.
