MSU Surplus Store and Recycling Center switches to online sales, limits recyclables accepted

The MSU Surplus Store and Recycling Center (SSRC) has introduced changes to its services for the fall in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, decreasing the number of recyclables patrons can drop off and moving its entire surplus inventory online.

The public Drop-Off Center has been operating with limited hours and a small crew to ensure employee safety since late spring. The decrease in available staff — including a loss of student workers due to the closure of campus — has affected the processing capacity of the recycling center.

“Within a given shift, each team member can hand sort more than 14,000 plastic recyclables,” said Kris Jolley, SSRC manager. “We simply cannot maintain the same sorting capacity without our student staff.”

Due to the decrease in sorting capacity, plastics recycling is limited to items that are shaped like a bottle or jug and are made of #1 or #2 plastic resin. Items must meet both requirements of shape and resin code. Examples of accepted bottles and jugs are:

• Water bottles
• Juice bottles
• Pop bottles
• Hand sanitizer bottles
• Wipes canisters
• Spray bottles

In addition to plastics, the Drop-Off Center accepts other recyclables such as cardboard, newspaper, boxboard, mixed paper, glass, metal, and carton containers – a new addition. “Carton containers are usually used to package liquids like broth or milk and are made of multiple layers of material – they have a waxy feel. Unlike boxboard, carton containers have a layer of plastic and aluminum embedded in the paper that make them difficult to recycle,” explained Dave Smith, SSRC recycling coordinator.

“We now have a viable local partner in Cheboygan, which accepts these cartons and recycles them into tissue products such as toilet paper. For now, we’re only accepting carton containers at the Drop-Off Center.”

However, campus partners can expect our general recycling collections to continue throughout academic buildings and office spaces during the fall semester.

“While we have modified our work to adapt to health and safety needs, we’re still providing a high level of service to campus partners,” Jolley said.

The MSU Surplus Store’s public storefront is typically filled with guests browsing MSU memorabilia and reusable goods. The storefront, however, has transitioned its sales from in-person to online. Purchases made through the online store can be delivered by traditional mail or through a curbside pickup option, available outside at the Surplus Store Merchandise Pickup Door. New items are added to the online store on a daily basis.

“Moving the Surplus Store to online sales is something we needed to do to ensure the health and safety of guests and employees,” Jolley said. “Items within the surplus inventory can be found through our new online store.”

At this time, the Surplus Store is not accepting personal donations for reuse or resale, though SSRC is actively working to reinstate the MSU Community Reuse Program as soon as possible. Campus departments are asked to submit a service request if an item needs to be collected for donation.

The MSU Recycling Center is open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. Curbside pickup for online Surplus Store orders is available 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, with extended pickup hours on Wednesdays from 8 a.m to 6 p.m.

Questions or concerns can be directed to the MSU Surplus Store and Recycling Center at (517) 355-1723 or surpluss@msu.edu.