Best Disposal Practices for Critical Operations: Banking, Telecom, Energy, and Infrastructure

Introduction

Critical operations in the banking, telecommunications, energy, and infrastructure sectors require strict waste disposal, especially of electronic equipment and media that store sensitive data. The adoption of best practices ensures legal compliance, information protection, and minimization of environmental impacts.

Legal Regulations for Safe Disposal

The disposal of electronic waste is regulated by the National Solid Waste Policy – PNRS (Law No. 12.305/2010), available on the planalto.gov.br portal. This legislation sets guidelines for waste management and shared responsibility among generators, transporters, operators, and the public authorities.

For critical operations, the need to comply with information security standards is also highlighted, as guided by the NIST Special Publication 800-88, which defines procedures for sanitizing media containing confidential data.

Recommended Practices for Critical Sectors

1. Waste Assessment: Identification and classification of the types of waste generated, with emphasis on electronic components and storage media.

2. Sensitive Data Handling: For the safe disposal of HDDs and media, certified sanitization procedures ensuring the irrecoverable elimination of data must be used, according to NIST 800-88 (HDD sanitization).

3. Proper Collection and Destination: Hiring specialized services for the collection and environmentally correct disposal of electronic waste is mandatory, respecting the rules of the national waste system, according to SINIR (sinir.gov.br) and registration in local environmental systems, such as CETESB (cetesb.sp.gov.br).

The use of electronic waste collection is recommended to ensure traceability and control of disposal.

Information Security and Compliance

Critical sectors demand rigorous procedures to guarantee confidentiality and integrity of information. Complete cleaning of storage devices must precede disposal or reuse. The use of technologies such as physical destruction, degaussing, or multiple overwriting is recommended, aligned with NBR ISO/IEC 27001, which addresses information security.

Environmental Impacts and Social Responsibility

Incorrect disposal can release toxic substances, compromising soils and water resources. Beyond legal compliance, sustainable practices contribute to institutional image and ESG compliance in the financial, telecommunications, energy, and infrastructure sectors. It is essential to foster partnerships with certified entities for treatment and recycling, strengthening the circular economy.

Conclusion

The proper management of electronic waste in critical operations must follow current regulations and recommended practices to ensure data security, respect for the environment, and compliance with technical standards. Integration between technical, legal, and environmental areas is essential for sustainable development and the mitigation of operational and legal risks.