The Story of Reuse Michigan State University 9 th Annual Smart and Sustainable Campuses Conference

…a little history  Reuse at Michigan State University has been in existence since WWII.

Fast Forward ’s Two FTE’s and one student…. Zero General Fund $…. Growth Zero General Fund $…. Averaged less than $300,000 annually Zero General Fund….

The MSU Salvage Yard

MSU Today Founded: 1855 Enrollment (Fall 2013): 49,300 Faculty and Staff: 11,100 Living Alumni: 542,000 More than 200 programs of study 7 Million Print Volumes in Library Presence in all 83 Counties through MSU Extension 2013/14 Budget: $1,150,300,000 Supplies & Services: $377,000 17,000 Students Live on Campus

2009 to present

MSU Surplus Store

MSU Surplus The Surplus Store collects used or unwanted items and materials from campus and looks for ways to put them to use, usually by selling them to other MSU departments. Buying used items saves departments money, and diverting the used item from the landfill reduces the university’s overall environmental impact.

MSU Surplus  Maximize value of reusable materials to help fund waste reduction activities.  8,000 items per day.  $2.8 million dollars in annual revenue.  $1.2 million dollars returned to MSU departments.  Weight assessment of materials diverted currently underway

The BIG Picture  “In 2005, I challenged the MSU community to display Boldness by Design. In response, Spartans everywhere found ways to transform teaching and research, community engagement, and stewardship of economic and environmental resources. In 2013, I challenged the community to be even bolder, and the response has been enormous. This is especially evident in the resolve of Spartans to find opportunities to address issues of global sustainability.” - President Lou Anna K. Simon Michigan State University Sustainability Report, 2013

Growing Pains Issues – institutional support (not everyone has it) Lessons Learned EVERYTHING has value… Ice Rink Jerseys Bricks Paint Chips – yes, paint chips!

OPPORTUNITIES (problems) Credibility – towards the beginning Good ole boy system Partnerships on campus – lack of The “salvage” look Technology Lack of support – (Freedom to do what was right) Cheap to landfill

How Do We Tell Our Story? Think about before the internet was around…campus silos Press Releases News Stories Huge Sales Billboards Radio Ads

Be Interesting or Be Invisible “Do what you do so well, that people can’t resist telling others about you.” – Walt Disney Our customers help tell our story for us Built upon by being more professional Providing excellent customer service (DOSE) Take pride in our waste – we know it has value “Cult” following….help us create awareness for the bigger issues

Social Impact The majority of what we sell goes back into the local communities… Small businesses Charities Orphanages Churches Local Farms

WASTE PAYS FOR WASTE  “One mans junk is another mans treasure”  REUSE is the biggest piece of this!  Surplus = ZERO General Fund $$ 122 employees: 46 FTE, 39 temp, 37 students…and growing  Our goal is to be completely off the general fund

Questions?  James Ives Education Coordinator Campus Sustainability Michigan State University (517) 