S2Say IT: Insights from Keeley Lambert on the importance of compliant ITAD solutions in 2026

Compliance sits at the heart of everything we do at S2S Group; it is an essential part of delivering any secure, responsible IT asset disposal (ITAD) strategy.

In this edition of S2Say IT, we spoke to Keeley Lambert, our Compliance Manager, about her journey at S2S Group and the role compliance plays across the business. We also discussed why organisations need to look beyond certifications when choosing an ITAD provider.

I’ve worked at S2S Group for almost five years now. Before joining the business, I worked as a compliance auditor for another company for around 20 years.

When I first joined S2S Group, I actually applied for a sales role, but the team saw my background and felt that compliance was where I could add the most value. I’ve always had an interest in sales, but have been drawn towards policies, procedures, structure and legislation, so compliance felt like the right progression for me.

It has been about hard work, determination and setting goals from the beginning. I knew I wanted to progress to management level, so I’ve always worked towards that and focused on proving myself.

Initially, I assisted an external Compliance Manager, but as I took on more responsibility, it became clear that having compliance expertise in-house would be more effective.

I spent a lot of time researching the ITAD industry so I could build my knowledge and demonstrate that I could manage compliance internally. The industry changes so quickly that having someone in-house who understands both the business and the wider compliance landscape was really important.

My role varies considerably. It includes everything from organising risk assessments, maintaining our legislative register, researching legislation updates, environmental compliance, and facility management.

Security and compliance have become much more structured since bringing the role in-house. We now have one consistent way of working, which helps to ensure all processes are fully compliant and prevents any corners from being cut.

Another big part of my role is drilling down into what happens on the shop floor to make sure procedures are being followed, and sometimes, identifying any deviations. We also use gap analysis to pinpoint weaknesses and knowledge gaps, which helps us implement the right training.

Every six weeks, we carry out data training, toolbox talks and phishing training to keep our knowledge and awareness up to date. Everyone also takes a health and safety training course every two years to ensure the wellbeing of our staff on site.

Unfortunately, there are still a lot of misconceptions around data deletion, including the idea that carrying out a factory reset means data has been completely erased.

If data isn’t securely destroyed, businesses can face financial penalties as well as significant reputational damage. That is why businesses need a disposal process that provides confidence that data has been securely handled, alongside the documentation to demonstrate the entire process.

Our clients need to know that when they hand over their assets to S2S Group, we will protect their data throughout the process.

Customers increasingly want to see examples of our security procedures during their tendering process, highlighting how procurement teams across the UK are starting to understand the importance of managing their end-of-life assets responsibly to protect their sensitive information.

As part of that proof, we undergo external audits to demonstrate our compliance. Organisations such as the ICO, Health and Safety Executive and Environment Agency can carry out checks at any time, so compliance isn’t something you can simply review occasionally. It needs to be monitored every day.

From collection through to final disposal, everything is tracked using our live portal Trakk-IT, offering all our customers full traceability of all assets throughout the ITAD process.

When assets arrive, they are triaged and cross-referenced against the initial asset bank provided by the customer. Each asset receives an RFID tag linked to its serial number, allowing it to be tracked through Trakk-IT until final disposal.

Customers are increasingly looking for this level of visibility themselves, particularly when they need to demonstrate compliance as part of their own audits. Some of our DIAL-rated customers often have specific requirements which dictate that our fully vetted drivers use particular routes during the collection process. These journeys are all monitored using geofencing.

Customers are becoming much more knowledgeable about certifications, which is a really positive step. They should look at whether a provider’s certificates are appropriate for their own level of risk and, importantly, whether they have been independently assessed.

There are some UK providers who are purely self-certified, meaning they haven’t been independently audited by an external source. At S2S Group, our certifications are externally assessed across different stages from quoting and collection through to destruction, and at random times, ensuring our security, compliance and environmental responsibility.

Customers need to understand the depth of the process a provider has gone through to achieve its accreditations, particularly as technology and its associated risks continue to advance.

Everyone has a responsibility to protect the environment, and a lot of businesses don’t realise the hazardous materials that can be present in redundant IT equipment.

Responsible WEEE recycling is therefore an important part of compliant ITAD. By having a strong sustainability approach, we demonstrate that we’re committed not only to protecting data and maintaining security, but also to managing redundant equipment responsibly.

Compliance is becoming increasingly critical and is much more at the forefront of business leaders’ minds. With UK legislation continually changing, organisations need to understand what those changes mean for their ITAD strategies and work with trusted providers that can help them remain compliant while supporting their wider ESG reporting.

Looking ahead, I think artificial intelligence (AI) will be one of the biggest challenges. Technology is constantly evolving, and we need to make sure we remain compliant at every stage, especially as new regulations are introduced over time.

With AI, there are many questions around where data is stored and who has access to it, which raises a lot of security concerns.

At S2S Group, we are currently developing a standalone AI policy to reinforce how the technology is used across the business. By researching platforms and their best practices, we can risk-assess each AI tool and ensure business data isn’t compromised.

For almost forty years, we’ve prioritised compliance in our ITAD solutions. We understand it is not a tick-box exercise, but an ongoing responsibility that underpins how we protect our customers, their data and the environment.

By providing full traceability of the process and being backed by over 16 externally assessed certifications, we give our customers the confidence they need to know their data is protected, and their assets are being disposed of responsibly.