Nestled among the trees that line Radio Road sits a faded, yellow brick building and a well-kept secret.
A third of the structure is filled wall to wall with used items: printers, televisions, refrigerators and chalkboards.
It’s not an antique shop or a junk store. It’s the UF Surplus Warehouse, under the administration of the Division of Finance and Accounting’s Asset Management department.
Last fiscal year, the warehouse saved the university $2 million, and with the increase in faculty hires this year, staff expects to see even more items entering and leaving the facility.
“You’d think we’re the trash men, but we’re actually something different,” said Michael Stringer, administrative services coordinator for the warehouse. “We’re trying to repurpose items — give them new life or new use. It’s our passion.”
The warehouse staff collects used equipment from UF’s facilities to redistribute, resell or recycle to UF buildings, faculty members and the general public.
Everything in the warehouse is recycled, from the employees’ desks and computers to their filing cabinets and even cars.
The warehouse started out as a necessity 10 years ago.
University protocol requires an establishment where used or damaged goods are disposed.
Since Stringer joined the staff in 2011, the branch has saved the university millions of dollars by reusing and recycling scrap parts and listing items on online auctions.
Scrap parts have earned the university about $75,000, and online auctions contribute an additional $300,000, Stringer said.
Any official UF facility can give items to the warehouse. After the items are assessed to make sure they meet the safety requirements of the UF Environmental Health and Safety department, goods are sent to Stringer and his crew for sorting.
Reusable items are redistributed on the UF campus, and surplus items are put up for auction and sold to the public.
Items that don’t fall under these categories are either donated to nonprofit organizations or sold for scrap.
Gretchen Fisk, a 19-year-old UF telecommunication sophomore, said she thinks the warehouse helps campus be more sustainable.
“I think they should get the word out,” she said. “Especially if the money they’re saving is in the millions, I think it’s a great idea.”
Sherry Adams, the asset management accounting coordinator, said Stringer is a leading activist in promoting campus sustainability.
“He is very instrumental in his field,” she said.
Through their efforts, Stringer and his team said they hope to help meet President Bernie Machen’s goal for UF to have zero waste by 2015.
“It’s hard to think long term, but we do,” Adams said. “What we do here pays dividends to come, and that’s what UF is all about.”
[A version of this story ran on page 9 on 1/29/2014 under the headline "Trash to treasure: UF Surplus Warehouse repurposes goods"]
Computers and electronics fill the shelves at the UF Surplus Warehouse near the Asset Management office at 116 Elmore Hall. The warehouse saved the university $2 million last year.
