Store Closed Thursday/Friday

Just a reminder that we will be closed January 1st and 2nd for the new year holiday. Next week we will be back to normal and will be done with all of the holiday closings for a while.

Thank you to all of our readers and we wish you a very happy and successful new year.

Interview with Lynda Boomer

Check out a great interview conducted by Maintenance Solutions Magazine with Lynda Boomer, Energy and Environmental Engineer for Physical Plant here at MSU.

This is a audio interview covering our Recycling Program and the MSU Surplus Store's eWaste initiatives.

You can find the audio interview here along with a transcript.

Construction Progress - Part XIII

Over the course of construction we have seen the groundwork laid, footings placed, outer walls go up, the steel skeleton structure completed and now we have outer wall siding showing up on the new MSU Surplus Store and Recycling Center. Work also continues on the interior of the building as the many of the interior office walls have been completed and work on the second floor mechanical area has started since we last visited the site. In addition in these same areas roofing and insulation has gone up on the ceilings.

Remember to keep checking back for more updates! Also don't forget that we have a compilation of all of the constructions photos available. We would also like to thank Irish Construction Company who has been very gracious in allowing us access and keeping us up to date with the progress of construction.

Previous Updates

• Construction Progress: Part I
• Construction Progress: Part II
• Construction Progress: Part III
• Construction Progress: Part IV
• Construction Progress: Part V
• Construction Progress: Part VI
• Construction Progress: Part VII
• Construction Progress: Part VIII
• Construction Progress: Part IX
• Construction Progress: Part X
• Construction Progress: Part XI
• Construction Progress: Part XII

The second R : Reuse

"The Three R's" is a phrase commonly used here at the MSU Surplus Store referring to reduce, reuse, and recycle. While reducing and recycling are pretty self-explanatory, reusing can a little less obvious. Fortunately, here at the Surplus Store we have a number of great products that are easily re-purposed for reuse.

Simply by shopping at the Surplus Store you are helping the cause of reuse, less then 1% of our goods are new. Additionally, we offer a great selection of items that can be re-purposed for new uses. While in most cases someone that buys a chair or desk is going to use it for its intended purpose, there are also many ways to take no longer needed products and re-purpose them for other uses. The possibilities are are only limited by your imagination, and one site superuse.org shows some of the amazing things that people have done with with the "trash" of others.

There is a wide range of projects illustrated on the site ranging from art to furniture - even cars if you are really ambitious. Some projects examples include:

• Turning a large cargo shipping container into an art sculpture
• Using flower pots as a wall
• Making a sofa made of a cast iron tub
• Creating table lights out of cassette tapes
• Employing pop bottles to make a coin purse
• Utilizing awnings from car windows and seat belts to make cushions

The are so many different ways to reuse old items both creatively and practically. The MSU Surplus Store is one of the best places to find all the oddities that you can use for different home and business projects.

Construction Progress - Part XII

It has been a while since we have updated the construction progress at the new MSU Surplus Store and Recycling Center. Over that time there has been a lot of good progress made in construction. All of the rough steel framing has been completed and in many areas roofing has started to go up. The biggest advancement can be seen in the center of the building where the interior rooms have their wall and ceiling installed.

Remember to keep checking back for more updates! Also don't forget that we have a compilation of all of the constructions photos available. We would also like to thank Irish Construction Company who has been very gracious in allowing us access and keeping us up to date with the progress of construction.

Previous Updates

• Construction Progress: Part I
• Construction Progress: Part II
• Construction Progress: Part III
• Construction Progress: Part IV
• Construction Progress: Part V
• Construction Progress: Part VI
• Construction Progress: Part VII
• Construction Progress: Part VIII
• Construction Progress: Part IX
• Construction Progress: Part X
• Construction Progress: Part XI

Short Series on E-Waste: Part III

Part I: What is E-Waste?
Part II: What does MSU do with its E-Waste?

Part III: How do I get rid of my E-Waste?

One of the questions I get asked most frequently is where do I take my E-Waste? In this post we'll go over some of the options that are available to those looking to properly dispose of E-Waste.

Many cities have a few days out of the year in which they do E-Waste pick up. You can contact your local Public Service Department and find out if your city offers this service and when it is held. There is usually a small fee depending on what you want to recycle.

There are also some companies that are offering a "Take Back" program. For a list of companies that have these programs and how to get in contact with them please check www.computertakeback.com list of companies that offer this service (PDF, 113 KB) .

The last option is to do a search on the internet to see if anyone near you offers a good recycling program. Make sure you do some research on the recyclers to ensure they are disposing of E-Waste responsibly. A good place to start is at www.computertakeback.com or Basel Action Network (BAN) for a few hints on where to begin researching E-Waste disposal.

Responsible disposal of E-Waste has tremendous environmental benefits and is a great way to Be Spartan Green!

1992 Presidential Debate Flag Up for Bid

On October 19, 1992 Presidential Debates featuring George H. Bush, Bill Clinton and Ross Perot took place here at Michigan State University. The third of three debates during the 1992 election this debate featured all three candidates in a two hour two part format that was watched by over 68 million people.

Since this was the last of debate of the 1992 election, one of the large flags that was used for the stage set for all three debates was donated by Commission on Presidential Debates to the University, the rest of the set was donated to the Smithsonian Institute.

This flag is now available here at the MSU Surplus Store as part of the Wharton Center for Performing Arts is remodeled.

• Flag was was used in the stage set in the great hall
• Hanging is in two pieces:
• Star portion is: 48" x 66 5/8" x 3"
• Stripes Portion is: 150" x 48 1/2" x 4"
• Includes 50 stars, but only 4 red stripes and 3 white.
  

The bidding for the item ends November 28 at 2:00 pm, with the minimum bid being $500. See the full listing.

MSU Surplus Store on Facebook

The MSU Surplus Store has just added it's very own Facebook page. Here you can meet other surplus customers and supporters.

Find us on Facebook®