Frequently Asked Questions

Back Thru The Future® is a women-owned IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) company headquartered in northern New Jersey. With more than 35 years in business, we specialize in licensed and certified electronic recycling and certified secure data destruction for organizations across the Northeast and beyond. Our longevity reflects a consistent commitment to compliance, security, and environmental responsibility.↑ Return to FAQ Topics

IT Asset Disposition is the structured, auditable process of retiring end-of-life technology — laptops, servers, mobile devices, network equipment, and other electronics — in a way that protects sensitive data and complies with environmental regulations.

Proper ITAD matters because improperly retired hardware is one of the most common sources of data breaches. It also ensures that hazardous e-waste is handled responsibly rather than ending up in landfills. For regulated industries like healthcare and finance, a documented ITAD process is often a legal requirement.↑ Return to FAQ Topics

Yes. We hold the licenses and certifications required to legally process electronic waste and perform certified secure data destruction. Copies of all current certifications are maintained in our Compliance Library and are available to clients upon request, supporting your own audit and regulatory documentation needs.↑ Return to FAQ Topics

Our Certificate Of Insurance (COI) can be viewed and downloaded here. We not only provide basic insurance coverage for liability and WC, but we also have $5m excess liability, which also covers both E&O, Pollution and Employee Dishonesty coverages.↑ Return to FAQ Topics

Yes, upon written request.↑ Return to FAQ Topics

Our facility in northern New Jersey is positioned to reach major Northeast markets within approximately three hours. We provide direct service to the New York City metro area, Philadelphia metro area, Washington D.C. metro area, southern Connecticut, Delaware, and northern Maryland. This geographic focus lets us maintain hands-on control over logistics and chain of custody — rather than relying on third-party carriers for the critical pickup leg.↑ Return to FAQ Topics

Yes. For clients with locations outside our direct service area, we work through a carefully vetted national network of certified ITAD partners. These partners are held to the same certification and documentation standards we apply internally, so the compliance documentation you receive is consistent regardless of where in the country your assets are picked up.↑ Return to FAQ Topics

All data-bearing assets are physically destroyed by shredding or disintegration at our facility. No data-bearing asset ever leaves our facility physically intact — this is an absolute policy, not an option.

For clients with specific on-site requirements, we provide on-site shredding, disintegration and degaussing services. We also provide deinstallation services removing hard drives and other data assets from their host. The Certificate of Data Destruction you receive reflects that complete, two-step process. Each item is tracked individually throughout, giving you an auditable record for every project.↑ Return to FAQ Topics

Our primary focus is organizations with heightened data privacy obligations — particularly healthcare (HIPAA), banking and financial services (GLBA, SOX), and other regulated industries. These clients require more than just recycling; they need an auditable chain of custody, certified destruction documentation, and a partner who understands the compliance landscape.

Our 35+ years of operational rigor make us well suited to these demanding environments, and our Compliance Library provides the historical documentation clients need to satisfy regulators and auditors.↑ Return to FAQ Topics

At project completion you receive a full asset report (including manufacturer serial numbers, your asset tag numbers, and our unique project barcodes), a Certificate of Data Destruction for all data-bearing media, a Certificate of Recycling, and a project invoice. All of this is also stored permanently in your Compliance Library account for future reference.↑ Return to FAQ Topics

Our control process begins before your assets ever leave your location. We inventory all assets to be disposed of at your facility, including the application of our unique barcode label to each item at that time. We require your confirmation of that inventory list before anything is removed, ensuring there is no ambiguity about what was picked up.

Upon arrival at our facility, every asset goes through what we call our “EPA Audit” — a reconciliation of the agreed-upon incoming inventory that adds manufacturer, model, asset type, and weight to each record. Machine type and weight are required for regulatory reporting, so capturing this data at intake is essential. The barcode applied at your site ties each individual item to its project code, creating a continuous, documented chain of custody from your location through final disposition. All of this information is shared with you and stored permanently in your Compliance Library.↑ Return to FAQ Topics

The Compliance Library is our proprietary, secure client portal — a permanent historical repository of everything related to your asset retirement program. It houses all project asset reports, certificates of data destruction, recycling certificates, project quotes, and invoices going back to day one of your engagement with us.

Because regulators and auditors may request records years after a project closes, having this information instantly accessible in one place dramatically simplifies your compliance posture. You never have to wonder whether a certificate was filed or a serial number was captured — it’s all there.↑ Return to FAQ Topics

Yes. We have recently introduced integration with the ServiceNow platform, allowing your Compliance Library data — including asset records, project documentation, and certificates — to be appended directly to your ServiceNow environment. This enables your IT and compliance teams to access ITAD records within the workflow tools they already use, without switching systems.↑ Return to FAQ Topics

A standard asset tag identifies a device in your own inventory system. Our barcode goes further: it encodes a project-level code that links the individual item to its specific retirement project in our Compliance Library. This means you can trace any asset not only to “what it is” but to “exactly when and how it was retired” — a distinction that matters when responding to an audit or a data breach investigation.↑ Return to FAQ Topics

You can request a quote by completing the Contact Us form on our website or by calling 973-823-9752 and selecting Sales. An account manager will gather the details of your project and provide a written quotation, typically the same business day and always within 24 hours.↑ Return to FAQ Topics

Placing an order is simple. You can authorize the project by signing and returning our written quotation, providing verbal approval through an authorized representative of your organization, or issuing a company purchase order.↑ Return to FAQ Topics

No. Back Thru The Future is an electronics recycling and secure data destruction company—we do not purchase or resell used electronic equipment. Our business is built on our strict No Resale Policy, which eliminates the risk of data exposure associated with remarketed equipment. Learn more by reading our No Resale Policy White Paper.↑ Return to FAQ Topics

We invoice you after your project has been completed. Payment can be made by company check or major credit card.↑ Return to FAQ Topics

Yes. Customers are welcome to deliver equipment directly to our facility. We recommend scheduling an appointment in advance to ensure prompt unloading and processing.↑ Return to FAQ Topics

If you’re unsure about the scope of your project, we can help. An account manager can visit your facility at no charge to assess your equipment and discuss your recycling needs.

Alternatively, we can provide unit pricing for the types of equipment you expect to recycle. At the time of pickup, our driver prepares a detailed manifest listing all equipment collected, which is reviewed and countersigned by your authorized representative. Final billing is based on the actual quantities collected and the agreed-upon unit pricing, providing a clear and accurate invoice.
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Contact us to discuss your project scope — volume, device types, timelines, and any specific data destruction requirements. We will provide a project quote, schedule a pickup date, and walk you through our intake process. For clients in our direct service area, our team handles transportation; for other locations, we coordinate with our partner network on your behalf.↑ Return to FAQ Topics

All computer assets enter our demanufacturing process. Equipment is systematically broken down and sorted into specific recyclable material categories — metals, plastics, circuit boards, and other components are separated and directed to specialized downstream processors.

We track the demanufacturing process at the project level and can provide the eventual final recycling activity by material and downstream processor if you so require. This level of traceability gives your compliance and ESG teams concrete, auditable evidence of responsible disposition.↑ Return to FAQ Topics

Back Thru The Future® is a US EPA registered Universal Waste Destination Facility for electronic waste. This designation confirms that our entire process meets the US EPA’s universal waste disposal requirements — it is not a self-certification, it is a federally recognized status.

For your ESG reporting, our Compliance Library captures the type of waste and its weight for every individual project. That means you have the specific, project-level data you need for environmental disclosures, sustainability reports, and regulatory filings — not just a general statement that your equipment was “recycled responsibly.”↑ Return to FAQ Topics

We specialize in all types of IT assets, communications equipment, laboratory equipment, and medical devices — essentially anything from a commercial environment that contains electronic components. This includes desktop and laptop computers, servers, storage arrays, networking and telecommunications gear, mobile devices, monitors, data center hardware, lab instruments, and medical electronics.

If you are unsure whether a specific item or category qualifies, contact us. Our experience across diverse commercial environments means we have likely processed it before.↑ Return to FAQ Topics