Our Sustainability Efforts
Recycle, Reduce and Reuse Efforts
- Redistribute assets within the university
- Generate revenue through sale of merchandise to the general public
- Reduce landfill costs through sale of merchandise
You can almost always find computers (both working and parts), flat-screen monitors, LCD projectors and office furniture at the Surplus Store. Additionally, university vehicles, lab equipment, athletic apparel and equipment can often be found in store and on our GovDeals.com auction site. In FY20, these sales allowed the Surplus Store to return more than $2.4 million directly back to owning departments.
Purdue University's Surplus Store "GREEN Program"
When it comes to sustainability, the Surplus Store continues its quest to be a leader within the university and local communities. Reduce, reuse and recycle has been the practice of the Surplus Store since the mid-1960s.
The Surplus Store has made a huge impact with reducing the amount of electronic waste ending up in local landfills. The collaboration between the Surplus Store and Environmental Health and Safety has significantly reduced the university's computer e-waste. Each year, approximately
- 10,000 pounds of power cords are cut off from machines and recycled,
- 72,500 pounds of hard drives, circuit boards, aluminum, memory sticks and metal cases are recycled.
The Surplus Store has also helped with reducing the amount of general waste sent to local landfills by diverting hundreds of desks, chairs, filing cabinets and other University surplus furnishings to the Surplus Store sales floor for reuse. In FY20, the Surplus Store sold more than 1,266,740 pounds of desks, chairs, filing cabinets and other items that otherwise may have ended up in the landfill.
