How to Dispose

The disposal of UCSB property is governed by University policy as set forth in Business & Finance Bulletin BUS-38 "Disposal of Excess Material and Transfer of Federally-Funded University –Owned Material."

At UCSB, Surplus Sales has the responsibility to dispose of excess and surplus property and is delegated the authority to establish selling prices. On items of real value, Surplus Sales staff may consult with the department in establishing fair market value.

The first step in disposing of an item is to ascertain if it is an inventorial item. The distinction between an inventorial and non-inventorial item is more specifically defined on Equipment Management’s website, however, in general, if an item originally cost over $5,000 it would be considered inventorial. If the item is inventorial and you wish to dispose of it through the normal channels of having Surplus Sales dispose of it, please complete an Equipment Inventory Modification Request (EIMR) via ServiceNow. Select "Transfer" as the Transaction type, and "Surplus Sales"as the Modification type. EIMR routing starts with Equipment Management who reviews the title, then to the Department’s Surplus Administrator (as designated in the GMC), then to Surplus Sales for administering and lastly back to Equipment Management for finalizing. Please be sure to add a note in the description field of the ServiceNow ticket if you want Surplus Sales to contact you to arrange a pickup on a recharge, or alternatively if you prefer to deliver the item(s) to Building 507 where no fee is charged.

If the item(s) are non-inventorial, contact Surplus Sales at (805) 893-2732 for discussion about how to proceed with disposal. While a department may not sell its own surplus material, non-inventorial and non e-waste items may be recycled or disposed of by the department. Disposal of non-inventorial surplus is at the sole discretion of Surplus Sales, with an emphasis placed on re-use and recycling as much as possible.

Methods of Disposal are:

  • Sale
  • Donation
  • Scrap, salvage, or recycle
  • Trash

For more information on disposal procedures contact Surplus Sales at surplus.sales@dls.ucsb.edu or (805) 893-2732.

Buying from Surplus Sales

UCSB departments are encouraged to purchase used equipment and items from Surplus Sales. Retail shopping hours are Tuesdays from 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm at our location in Building 507 on Mesa Road (just east of Los Carneros Road). You may call Surplus Sales at (805) 893-2732 or email surplus.sales@dls.ucsb.edu to ask if Surplus has what you’re interested in buying.

Selling Your Equipment

Surplus Sales is the only authorized department from which UCSB inventorial, or non-inventorial items may be sold.

Surplus Sales staff will work with you, if necessary, to obtain the proper information needed in order to sell the item, choose the best method of selling, and then solicit buyers to finalize the sale and transaction.

Surplus Sales utilizes many different methods to sell UCSB surplus property including:

  • PublicSurplus.com, an on-line auction site just for public agencies
  • LabX
  • Retail sales at our building on Mesa Road

Proceeds from the sale of equipment are generally divided between Surplus Sales and the originating department on a tiered basis as outlined in the Surplus Sales Handling Fees section below.

For more information please contact Surplus Sales, (805) 893-2732, or surplus.sales@dls.ucsb.edu.

Request a Pickup

You may request a pickup of surplus property by submitting a Furniture Services request. As outlined in the section How to Dispose, an Equipment Inventory Modification Request (EIMR) via ServiceNow must be submitted for inventorial assets before pickup can be arranged. An EIMR allows for the processing of a change in custody code from a department to Surplus, until final disposal.

There is a charge for pickup, however the department has the option to bring items to Surplus Sales with no additional fee. Please submit a furniture services request to coordinate drop off, as no unscheduled drop offs can be accepted.

Recycling/ E-Waste

Surplus Sales attempts to dispose of all items possible by selling, recycling, re-use, or partnering with state-certified electronic waste recyclers.

Surplus Sales recycles wood pallets and has a large Marborg roll-off container to collect recyclable metals. Surplus Sales also collects used toners and print cartridges from departments through a partnership with Associated Students Recycling.

We Don't Handle...

Surplus Sales is unable to accept liquids, light bulbs, any type of batteries whether computer related or household and smoke detectors. These items can be recycled at Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S).

Surplus Sales Handling Fees

When surplus equipment is sold, proceeds from the sale are dispersed between the selling department and Distribution & Logistical Services. Administrative program costs include pickup, storage, transportation, disposal fees, advertising and other costs directly related to the administration of the surplus program.

Proceeds from Sale DLS Handling Fee
Up to $400 100%
$401 - $500 25%
$501 - $1,000 20%
$1,001 - $5,000 15%
$5,001 - $10,000 10%
$10,001 & above negotiate

*Updated handling fees are awaiting campus approval.

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