09/04/2024 
5 minutes
5 minutes
09/04/2024 
Executive Q & A with Gavin Griffiths,
Founder & Managing Director, Insurgo Technology
Q1: Welcome Gavin to this Fujifilm Insights Executive Q & A! Please tell us a bit about your role and responsibility as Founder & Managing Director of Insurgo Technology.
Ans:
I have been involved with Tape media for over 20 years, firstly as a salesperson selling the old Open Reel tapes and 3480/90 and 3590 media we manufactured here in Wales, UK. This was just about when LTO1 hit the marketplace to rival the S-DLT technology. A 100GB tape back then was a fantastic feat!
I started Insurgo Technology nearly 15 years ago, we had a couple of months working from my house, before opening an office for sales and delivery service of tape media worldwide. With advancements in tape technology, we recognized the need for a secure destruction solution for tape. Popular methods for end-of-life tape destruction were outdated and no longer matched the technological advances made by manufacturers. Our focus shifted to developing tangible services that would add value for customers. We explored tools for services like testing, repair, and recovery, along with managing and storing tapes. However, it became clear that the secure destruction of tapes required a more progressive approach to ensure data protection and compliance. I now drive this initiative.
We set up an R&D division in 2011, headed by our Technical Director and inventor, Roy Spiller. Roy has been in the industry twice as long as me and had manufactured the physical tape as well as servicing the machines which made the tape film. We set out to develop a secure data destruction service, in which we could, hand on heart, issue a certificate of destruction with 100% certainty, that the data on the tape was wiped of all data and traces of information.
While Insurgo was founded on tape sales and some associated aftermarket services, today we have developed the most secure and traceable systems for tape disposal. We can save over half the CO2 impacts of current shredding and incineration whilst ensuring a complete solid chain of custody.
That’s 300 metric tons of CO2 saved per 1 million tapes.
Q2: Can you tell us about the breakthrough work you are doing in recycling of data tape cartridges at the end-of-life stage?
Ans:
We have developed technology patented in 53 countries that dramatically reduces CO2 emissions, during the destruction process. Our solution is over 800 times more efficient than traditional shredding machines and 10 times more efficient than standard degaussers. Unique ability to time and date stamps every step of the process, through the chain of custody, irrevocably linking the drives to each tape being processed.
As part of our ongoing R&D to enhance these processes, we have begun dismantling tapes and repurposing all their main components, through an auditable process We can already demonstrate through life cycle assessment methodology a CO2 reduction of over 50% compared to onsite shredding and incineration. We are working on various aspects of the tape film to improve these numbers even further. Our ultimate goal is to find a new purpose for all the tape components.
Q3: Tape has been around for 70+ years, but I am not aware of tape recycling programs prior to your program. What has been the driver for this initiative?
Ans:
Interestingly, we have been repurposing tape media long before plastic recycling became a trend! Our new recycling service paired with our destruction process helps businesses to mitigate their CO2 impact further.
Despite these environmental efforts, data security must remain the top priority. It is crucial to recognize that the tape landscape has evolved dramatically. The capacity alone went from 100GB to 50TB in 20 years, yet the methods for destruction used two decades ago should be considered obsolete.
We now offer customers the opportunity to significantly reduce their environmental impact by over half, while ensuring data security and full traceability. It is the ultimate win-win situation!
Q4: How do you see differences in demand for this recycling program in the EU vs, U.S.A and/or ROW?
Ans:
The EU enforces stricter controls, requiring emissions targets to be achieved, met, and published. Many global companies we engage with are considering integrating these practices into their worldwide policies anticipating future global regulatory requirements. Even without physical recycling, our service benefits both security and CO2 reduction.
Moving forward, we would like to see a reduction in the data industry’s “end of life” emissions, and this being adopted worldwide. Insurgo Technology is now becoming recognized by Global companies, especially banking corporations based in Europe, as they pursue a more secure and environmentally friendly solution to tape end of life.
Q5: What do you see as the biggest objections to adoption of your recycling program and how do you address those?
Ans: It is a great question.
Honestly, I cannot see any reason why anyone would not want to switch to our system immediately! We have spent over 12 years refining and perfecting our technology, providing a compelling story and journey for all who know us. The systems are portable, the software is online, easy to follow and implement, but most importantly secure.
We have developed our technology, now we need to expand our message and progress our marketing reach much further, making our proposition concise and simple to understand.
We have the highest level of security and traceability, soon to add library automation to further improve process times and volume demands, including hyperscaler’s. Add all the environmental benefits we touched on, our technology package is the end to end, world leader in data tape secure destruction.
Q6: Where can readers get more information about Insurgo data tape cartridge recycling?
Ans: Details of our technology systems, Investigo software, and scanners will be found by going directly to the page located on the Insurgo website
https://insurgo.co.uk/secure-disposal-solutions/
Q6: Finally, when you are not slaving away for Insurgo, what do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Ans:
In fairness, I currently have a great work life balance. The team at Insurgo technology work as one to achieve the common goals we set at the start of the financial year, and we all share in the responsibilities for these goals.
With an active teenage family, time flies by, one with newly acquired interior design eyes and another who enjoys soccer and video gaming, which is a relatable aspect for me as a father to enjoy as well!
I have a local squash club, keeping me in half decent shape throughout the week and with both the soccer and football seasons just around the corner, my weekends of watching the premier league and NFL will make up the rest of my time.
Thank you for the opportunity to discuss all these aspects with you Rich.
Thanks for your time, Gavin, and we wish you a lot of success with your data tape cartridge recycling program!
