Cisco UCS C220 M5 Decommissioning, Recycling, Scrap Value (2026)

Cisco UCS C220 M5: decommissioning and recycling

Reviewed by the eCycling Central editorial team on April 2026

The Cisco UCS C220 M5 (Cisco, 1U rack, 2017-2022) weighs 16.3 kg. This guide covers the four steps to legal decommissioning: data destruction, refurbishment-vs-scrap decision, scrap recovery, and ITAD vendor selection.

Step 1: data destruction

Before the unit leaves your facility, all internal storage must be sanitized to NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 1 standards. The Cisco UCS C220 M5 typically contains 2-12 storage devices (SATA SSD, SAS HDD, NVMe). Options:

• Purge: software-based sanitization (Blancco, Killdisk, manufacturer secure-erase) - acceptable for low-classification data, fastest
• Destroy: physical destruction (degaussing for HDDs, crush/shred for SSDs/NVMe) - required for high-classification data
• Both: Purge followed by physical destruction - ITAR / FedRAMP / HIPAA-regulated data

Document the destruction method on a Certificate of Data Destruction (CoD). Required for SOC 2, HIPAA, FedRAMP, and most enterprise audit frameworks.

Step 2: refurbishment-vs-scrap decision

UCS Manager integration limits standalone refurb appeal. Better as scrap if not staying in UCS environment.

If refurbishment makes sense, active secondary-market channels for the Cisco UCS C220 M5:

• Curvature - global IT lifecycle management
• PivIT Global - third-party maintenance + refurb
• Hardware Nation (Dell PowerEdge specialist)
• Atlantix (multi-vendor refurb + ITAD)
• eBay - retail-tier transactions

If the unit is end-of-life, scrap recovery is the legal path.

Step 3: scrap recovery

Approximate scrap value for the Cisco UCS C220 M5: $12-25 USD.

A typical 2U rack server breaks down approximately as:

• Steel chassis, drive cages, fans: 65-75% of weight (11.4 kg) - LME spot ~$0.40/kg
• Aluminium heatsinks: 8-12% (1.6 kg) - LME spot ~$2.40/kg
• Copper bus bars and wiring harness: 3-5% (0.65 kg) - LME spot ~$9.50/kg
• PCB precious metals (gold-plated connectors, palladium): $5-25 per unit at integrated smelter
• Power supply transformers: small steel + copper

Real recovered value depends on smelter access and unit condition.

Step 4: ITAD vendor selection

For volumes above 5 units, use a certified ITAD vendor. Required certifications to look for:

• R2v3 (Responsible Recycling) or e-Stewards for the recycler
• NAID AAA for any sub-contracted data destruction
• ISO 14001 environmental management
• WEEE-registered (EU/UK) or state EPR-registered (US)

Typical vendor decommissioning cost (per unit, including data destruction): $30-80 USD.

Major ITAD vendors:

• Iron Mountain
• Restore Datashred
• SK tes (Stanley Industrial Asset Disposition)
• Atlantix
• Sims Recycling Solutions
• Stone Group (UK)
• ERI Direct (US)
• Sage Sustainable Electronics

Compliance note

ECCN classification for export controls: NIST 800-88 Purge or Destroy on internal storage; check with manufacturer for current ECCN designation if exporting refurbished units

Sources

• Cisco EOL documentation
• NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 1 Guidelines for Media Sanitization
• R2v3 Standard for Responsible Recycling
• LME spot prices for steel, aluminium, copper