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 Policy UW-3056). When possible all surplus property sales are conducted at the SWAP (Surplus with a Purpose) Warehouse, located at 1061 Thousand Oaks Trail, Verona, Wisconsin.
Sales and disposal of surplus items
For most items, the process begins by contacting SWAP via the completion of a Surplus 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 Material Acceptance Guidelines web page for more information. Depending on the value and type of items received, SWAP may choose to list items in their inventory and/or an online auction. Profits from the sales will be returned to departments according to the current SWAP revenue sharing rate (PDF).
For information on the disposal of hazardous materials or animals (live or dead), please see the Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) website.
Trading in an item
For items associated with a formal bidding process, trade-in language can be added to the bid as a part of the package. Alternately, SWAP may provide a better return on your investment by offering the item for sale to a targeted audience. 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 Policy UW-3057 (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.