After launching one year ago, the ACC Surplus Free Store has diverted approximately 1,240 items totaling more than 200 pounds of office supplies from the landfill.
The ACC Surplus Free Store was launched by the Energy and Sustainability Office in June 2022 as a way for ACC employees to redistribute items that still have plenty of life in them.
The office collects surplus office supplies across the district and then offers those items back out to ACC faculty and staff for free.
The store reports it received an increase in “sales” after a large promotional push last month. In the past 30 days, the store received more than 50 orders and sent out more than 400 items for a total of 71.5 pounds of office supplies diverted from the landfill. At least one order has been sent to every campus and center in the district.
A few of the surplus items are in excess of what the college can reuse. In such instances, the college attempts to first donate the item(s) locally before throwing them in the landfill. Recently, an additional 300 items that are no longer needed at ACC were donated to a local school district.
Marker recycling program
To further divert office supplies from the landfill, members of the ACC community are encouraged to dispose of all broken, dried, and no longer useful writing utensils in marker recycling collection containers located at each campus. This program accepts markers, pens, pencils, and highlighters of any brand. The most recent shipment to the recycling program diverted 241 pounds of writing utensils from the landfill.