EAST LANSING, Mich. — As Michigan State University students pack up to head home, it's a busy few days for staff at the university's surplus store.
The MSU Surplus Store recycles and sells trash that students leave behind.
The store is located at 468 Green Way in East Lansing.
More than 10,000 MSU students move out within a span of three days, but instead of the trash going into the dumpster, over a million pounds is hauled and collected at the surplus store.
"It's a challenge for us every year to be able to divert that much from the landfill. There's a fair amount of trash produced, but we do try to reduce, reuse and recycle where possible," said Sean Barton, Operations Manager at the store.
There are designated zones in every residence hall for students to donate things they no longer want such as fridges, futons, carpets. The items are then sold at the surplus store for re-use.
"If you spend $20 on a new lamp at a store, we have it for a dollar. Fans are really popular over the summer we have fans for a dollar," Barton said.
"Sometimes I go in there and I'm not even sure what I'm going to find. It's kind of a surprise," said Scott Petritz, Facility Manager at MSU's Sailing Center. "Cool old things you'll find in a classroom, whether they're maps, posters, whiteboard; things like that."
Staff at the store will continue to be busy until move-out madness dies down next week.
