Surplus store recycles campus items

Used furniture, computers and other items from various IU department buildings line the shelves of the IU Surplus Store, where they are ready to be sold at a discount to students, faculty and staff working on a budget.

The store, a warehouse, is located off-campus on Tenth Street. Merchandise is organized on tables and shelves by product type, such as electronics and furniture.

“The goal of the Surplus Store is to sell surplus merchandise from University
departments, return some of the proceeds to the departments and keep all those items out of the landfill,” said Bill Brown, director of the IU Office of Sustainability. “It provides a useful service to the community, especially students and others looking for affordable electronics and furnishings.”

According to the store’s website, “the Purchasing Department will attempt to redistribute items within the University based on equitable criteria. Any items no longer required by a department or division will be transferred to Surplus Stores. Given these policies and guidelines, the store is empowered to offer items for sale to the general public once it is determined that no need for that item exists within the University.”

Abby Howenstein, an IU alumna, said she knows about the store through her job. Howenstein works for AITech, and the department sends extra items to the store when it no longer needs them. However, she said she has never had the opportunity to shop there.

“I have not gone shopping there because I have never had the chance,” Howenstein said.

Arec Ligon, a Bloomington resident and former IU student, said he had never heard of the store. However, he said it sounded like a place where he could get good prices on items that otherwise would be expensive.

“It sounds like you could get a lot of good deals there,” Ligon said.

The store sells computers, office furniture, general furniture and a number of other items that are no longer being used by the University. 

Though the store only accepts personal checks, Brown said it is worth visiting.

“It is a best-kept secret,”  Brown said.