SSD Shredding Service
Data Destruction Inc. shreds solid-state drives to a 2 mm particle size, fracturing every NAND flash package so no memory cell survives. Standard hard drive shredders let flash chips pass through intact, so we run SSDs on flash-rated equipment that satisfies the NIST SP 800-88 r2 Destroy category and provide a serialized Certificate of Destruction.
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SSD Shredding Service Service Option
SSD Secure Erase
ATA Secure Erase and NVMe Sanitize commands purge every flash block at the controller level, including over-provisioned cells. We verify completion for drives you plan to redeploy rather than destroy.
SSD Crushing
Hydraulic crushing fractures the controller and NAND packages under force, a fast physical fallback for dead or locked drives that cannot complete an erase command.
Cryptographic Erase for SSDs
On verified self-encrypting drives, destroying the media encryption key meets the NIST Purge category in seconds. It is distinct from secure erase, which resets the flash cells themselves.
NVMe Destruction
NVMe drives use the NVMe command set rather than ATA, so we apply NVMe Sanitize or, where reuse is not required, flash-rated physical destruction sized to the medium.
How SSD Shredding Works
Shredding is a physical Destroy method: the drive is fed into cross-cutting blades that reduce it to small particles. The decisive variable for flash media is particle size. NAND packages are physically small, so a coarse shredder built for magnetic hard drives, cutting to a 1.5 inch or 0.75 inch width, can pass a memory chip through whole. A chip that survives intact still holds recoverable data, which is why generic e-waste shredding is not a defensible destruction method for SSDs.
Data Destruction Inc. shreds solid-state media to a 2 mm particle size. At that size every NAND package is fractured across its silicon, not merely separated from the board. Our process follows three steps:
Intake and serialization. Each drive is scanned and recorded by serial number against your asset list before it enters the shredder.
Flash-rated shredding. Drives are shredded on equipment sized for flash media, producing a 2 mm particle stream verified against IEEE 2883-2022.
Material capture and recycling. Shredded particles are collected and routed to responsible downstream recovery, and the destruction event is logged for the Certificate of Destruction.
The NIST SP 800-88 r2 Destroy category treats correctly sized shredding as the end state for high-sensitivity media, because the medium is rendered permanently inoperable and the data infeasible to reconstruct.
Shredding Versus the Other SSD Methods
Shredding is one of four conformant paths for solid-state media, and it is the right choice in specific conditions.
If your priority is… | Choose | Why |
|---|---|---|
Highest assurance, no reuse | SSD Shredding | Destroy category; every package fractured to 2 mm |
Bulk physical throughput | Deforms packages quickly; pair with shred for classified data | |
Verified reuse or resale | Purge category; preserves a working drive | |
Encrypting drives | Purge by key destruction on verified SEDs |
Shredding does not apply magnetism, so it works identically on flash regardless of encryption state. That makes it the default when a drive cannot complete a sanitize command, when encryption cannot be verified, or when policy forbids any reuse of the medium.
Compliance and Standards
Regulation | Requirement | How shredding satisfies it |
|---|---|---|
Destroy category for high-sensitivity media | 2 mm shred fractures every NAND package | |
Render electronic PHI unusable and inaccessible | Physical destruction with serialized record | |
Destroy media so cardholder data cannot be reconstructed | Particle-size destruction of flash media | |
Sanitize media before disposal | NIST 800-88 r2 Destroy method, documented per asset |
We cite NIST SP 800-88 r2 (September 2025), which defers to IEEE 2883-2022 for flash particle sizing. Authoritative source: NIST SP 800-88 r2 (PDF).
Compliance and Standards
Regulation | Requirement | How secure erase satisfies it |
|---|---|---|
Purge category for media slated for reuse | Verified controller-level sanitize of all flash blocks | |
Render electronic PHI unusable before reuse | Verified Purge with serialized record | |
Dispose of or sanitize customer information securely | Documented, verified erase | |
Sanitize media before reuse | NIST 800-88 r2 Purge, verified per asset |
We cite NIST SP 800-88 r2 (September 2025) and its deference to IEEE 2883-2022. Authoritative sources: NIST SP 800-88 r2 (PDF) and the NIST cryptographic erase definition.
Industries That Choose SSD Shredding
Data centers shred enterprise SSDs and NVMe modules at end of life, often thousands per refresh, with serialized evidence for each asset under NIST 800-88 r2.
Financial services destroy flash media from trading desks, laptops, and payment systems to meet the GLBA Safeguards Rule and PCI DSS Requirement 9.4.
Healthcare providers shred SSDs from imaging workstations and EHR servers that hold electronic PHI and cannot be degaussed.
Defense contractors shred flash media holding controlled unclassified information under CMMC 2.0 and NIST 800-171, where physical destruction is the auditable default.
Service Modes and Coverage
SSD shredding is available on-site or off-site. On-site shredding brings flash-rated equipment to your facility so drives are destroyed before they leave your control, and the process can be witnessed by your representative or recorded on video. Off-site shredding moves sealed, logged containers to a secured facility for bulk volumes at a lower cost per drive.
Data Destruction Inc. covers all 50 US states from seven staffed metros: Dallas, New York City, San Jose, San Diego, Los Angeles, Irvine, and Washington DC. Recurring needs can be handled through a scheduled destruction program.
What You Receive
Serialized Certificate of Destruction listing each drive and confirming the NIST 800-88 r2 Destroy method, provided within 24 hours after the destruction event is complete.
Chain-of-custody log documenting every transfer from intake to shredding.
Serialized asset inventory reconciled against your records.
Particle-size attestation confirming the 2 mm shred size against IEEE 2883-2022.
Recycling-stream attestation confirming shredded flash material was routed to responsible recovery.
Frequently Asked Questions
What particle size do you shred SSDs to?
We shred solid-state media to a 2 mm particle size. At that size each NAND package is fractured, which is the level IEEE 2883-2022 and NIST SP 800-88 r2 treat as appropriate for flash. Magnetic hard drives are shredded to a coarser 6 mm size because their data is stored differently.
Why can’t a normal hard drive shredder destroy an SSD?
Hard drive shredders cut to roughly 1.5 inch or 0.75 inch particles. NAND chips are smaller than that gap and can pass through whole, leaving recoverable data on an intact chip. SSD shredding requires equipment sized for flash so every package is fractured.
Is shredding better than secure erase for SSDs?
Shredding meets the NIST Destroy category and ends any possibility of reuse, which is the right choice for high-sensitivity data or drives that cannot verify a sanitize command. Secure erase meets the Purge category and preserves a working drive for reuse. The decision follows your data sensitivity and reuse plan.
Can you shred SSDs at our facility?
Yes. Our mobile service shreds flash media on-site so drives never leave your control before destruction, and the process can be witnessed or video-recorded for audit sign-off.
Do you shred NVMe and M.2 drives?
Yes. Because these form factors are small, we route them to flash-rated equipment rather than a coarse HDD line. See NVMe Destruction for the NVMe-specific process.
LET US CONTACT YOU
DATA DESTRUCTION LOCATIONS
SHREDDING SERVICES DALLAS
1717 Mckinney Ave. Suite 700
Dallas, TX 75202-1236
(469) 949-2840
SHREDDING SERVICES NEW YORK CITY
100 Church Street. 8Th Floor
New York City, NY 10007-2630
(516)-990-4096
SHREDDING SERVICES SAN JOSE
2033 Gateway Place. 5Th Floor
San Jose, CA 95110
(408) 459-4418
SHREDDING SERVICES SAN DIEGO
350 10Th Avenue. Suite 1000
San Diego, CA 92101-7496
(619) 916-4696
SHREDDING SERVICES LOS ANGELES
633 West Fifth Street. 26Th And 28Th Floors
Los Angeles, CA 90071
(213) 205-3688
SHREDDING SERVICES IRVINE
7545 Irvine Center Drive. Irvine Business Center, Suite 200
Irvine, CA 92618
(949) 793-7178
SHREDDING SERVICES WASHINGTON
601 Pennsylvania Ave. Nw, South Building, Suite 900
Washington, DC 20004
(240) 266-3056
