How Sell, Dispose of or Trade-in Merchandise

How To Sell, Dispose of, or Trade in an Item or Piece of Equipment

Purchasing Services has the SOLE authority for disposal of surplus and abandoned property at UW-Madison (other than titled and licensed vehicles which are handled by the Department of Administration - refer to PPP 17). When possible all surplus property sales are conducted at the SWAP (Surplus with a Purpose) Warehouse, located at 2102 Wright Street, Madison, Wisconsin.

Sales and Disposal of surplus items:

For most items, the process begins by contacting SWAP via the completion of a Surplus Property Pick-Up Request Form. SWAP collects all reusable, repairable or salvageable surplus equipment from the UW-Madison campus and state agencies in the Madison area, but will NOT collect items which are unsafe to handle or intended for recycling or disposal by another State department. Please consult the guide below for more information and contact SWAP if you are unsure whether or not they are able to collect your materials. Depending on the value and type of items received, SWAP may choose to list items in their inventory, use the Offer to Sell (OTS) process, and/or an online auction. Profits from the sales will be returned to departments according to the current SWAP revenue sharing rate.

Items Collected by SWAP:

Durable goods
All computer equipment, regardless of condition or age ($5 recycling fee for monitors)
All office supplies (please sort)
All office furniture (e.g., desks, chairs) regardless of condition
Clean, reusable lab equipment
Books
Tools and hardware
Electrical equipment, including motors
Miscellaneous materials usable for art projects

Items NOT Accepted by SWAP:
Contact SWAP for alternative disposal options.

Appliances with compressors, condensers, coolants or capacitors
Disposable goods
Contaminated labware, equipment and any item with a radiation sticker
Plate glass (handling hazard)
Chemicals, including empty bottles, jars, surplus lab chemicals, surplus industrial chemicals, janitorial chemicals and cleaners
Any equipment with asbestos
Paints, paint removers
Batteries, lighting ballast's
Computer software (SWAP erases all software from the computers it collects)

For information on the disposal of hazardous materials or animals (live or dead), please contact the UW Safety Department at 262-8769.

Trading in an item:

For items which will be associated with a formal bidding process, trade in language can be added to the bid as a part of the package. Alternately, the Offer To Sell (OTS) process, in conjunction with SWAP, may provide a better return on your investment by offering the item for sale to a targeted audience. The OTS process can be conducted at the same time as the bid to determine which method will offer the initiating department a better deal. If you are interested in trading in a piece of equipment, please contact the purchasing agent responsible for that commodity area to discuss the trade and determine if it will offer the best value for your items. University departments are NOT authorized to trade in or dispose of state property to persons or organizations outside UW- Madison without Purchasing Services approval.

For more information:

See PPP18 (Disposal of Surplus University Property), contact SWAP, or contact the purchasing agent responsible for the items you are interested in disposing of or trading in.