For UW-Madison Departments

UW departments must submit a Surplus Request Form to declare property as surplus and to initiate disposal through SWAP.

Requirements

• Material Acceptance — All property disposed of through SWAP must comply with SWAP’s Material Acceptance Guidelines.
• Capital Asset Approval — All capital assets require approval from Property Control prior to disposal through SWAP.

Disposal Methods Through SWAP

• Pick‑up Service — SWAP provides free pick‑up for University buildings in the Madison area. Pick‑ups are limited to items located on loading docks or in close proximity to the ShopUW+ delivery area.
• Drop‑off — Departments must submit a Surplus Request Form and wait for SWAP approval before delivering items. Approved drop‑offs are accepted Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Unapproved deliveries may be refused.
• On‑site Sales — Departments may request that SWAP list surplus property from the department’s location on the SWAP Online Auction site. This option is generally reserved for high‑value, large, or sensitive equipment.

Department Responsibilities

Departments may use SWAP’s pick‑up services; however, they remain responsible for transporting surplus property to the SWAP warehouse unless the property is approved for on‑site sale.

All property received by SWAP must comply with Material Acceptance Guidelines.

When property does not meet these guidelines, departments are responsible for disposing of it through appropriate campus channels (e.g., Waste & Recycling, Environment, Health & Safety).

SWAP and MDS provide free pick‑up services for small‑to‑medium loads (less than one box truck) for UW–Madison departments within the Madison area. Items must meet SWAP’s Material Acceptance Guidelines, and only property that is safe to handle qualifies for pick‑up.

Departments are responsible for arranging transportation for property SWAP cannot safely handle or for loads exceeding pick‑up capacity.

Before delivering surplus property to SWAP, departments must submit a Surplus Request form and wait for an approval email.

Only items that meet SWAP’s Material Acceptance Guidelines will be accepted at our facility.

Departments may request that SWAP sell surplus items from their location by submitting a Surplus Request.

If approved, SWAP will list the item(s) on the SWAP Online Auction site, process payment, and provide the buyer’s name and contact information to the department. The department is responsible for coordinating pick‑up with the buyer.

Net proceeds from the sale will be credited to the Workday Funding account listed on the Surplus Request.

Note: To reduce traffic on campus and in University buildings, on‑site sales are generally limited to high‑value, large, or sensitive items that are difficult to transport.

SWAP accepts all computer equipment, regardless of age or condition, including:

• Desktops and laptops
• Printers
• Copiers
• Televisions & Monitors
• Keyboards & Mice
• Cables
• Docking stations

Large quantities of components should be boxed or placed in speed packs for transport. Speed packs may be requested using the Speed Pack Request Form.

SWAP treats all data‑bearing devices as if they contain sensitive protected information (e.g., student, health, or financial data). Devices are secured upon receipt and are either sanitized by SWAP or sent to an approved e‑waste recycler.

However, SWAP is not responsible for records destruction. Records must be destroyed prior to sending any device to SWAP.

UW–Madison departments are responsible for records disposal and destruction, including paper records and electronic records stored on data‑capturing devices such as computers, servers, and copiers.

All data‑capturing devices received by SWAP are secured upon receipt and either sanitized or sent to a secured off‑site facility for physical destruction. This process serves as a redundancy measure only; the responsibility for data sanitization rests solely with the department.

SWAP accepts mixed media—including CDs, microfilm, VHS tapes, flash drives, and data tapes. These materials must be boxed before delivery. Mixed media is secured and sent to our e‑waste recycler for shredding.

Additional Options 

• Secure vendor pick‑up — Departments may request a pick‑up from the University’s electronic‑waste recycling vendor for secure device destruction.
• Hard drive crushing — Individual hard drives may be dropped off at SWAP for destruction using SWAP’s SEM 0101 Hard Drive Crusher. Crushed drives are then sent to our e‑waste recycler for shredding. This is a free service.

For more information, email Matthew Thies at matthew.thies@wisc.edu.

University departments are not authorized to donate state property to individuals or to organizations outside UW–Madison without approval from Purchasing Services or SWAP. Donations are used only as a waste‑diversion strategy when other disposal methods are not feasible.

Per state requirements, donations to nonprofit organizations must be publicly advertised and awarded through a competitive process. No single nonprofit may be selected directly, and verification of nonprofit status may be required.

Donations to private individuals, for‑profit organizations, or state employees are strictly prohibited.

Per state rules, property with historic value cannot be sold, donated, or otherwise disposed of without first offering it to the State Historical Society for preservation.  This category includes:

• Property that was vital and unique to the activities and programs of the University
• Property associated with an important person, site, or event in Wisconsin history, distant or recent
• Property that advertises or symbolizes Wisconsin-based businesses, organizations, or events
• Property that is a work of art and that depicts Wisconsin and/or University people, places, events, symbols, or activities
• Property that is 50 years old or greater

UW employees are prohibited from acquiring University surplus property for personal use, except when the property is sold through a publicly advertised sale conducted by SWAP.

Such sales must be conducted through a competitive process open to the public.

Direct sales to employees are not permitted.

A percentage of the net proceeds from individual items that are replaced by the department and sold above SWAP’s reserve price may be credited to the Workday Funding account listed on the Surplus Request.

The reserve price is $250 for items sold at SWAP’s location and $50 for items sold off‑site. Multiple sales may be aggregated to increase the amount returned to the department.

Net revenue from the sale of surplus University property not being replaced with functionally similar property must be credited to the Budget Stabilization Fund established by the Department of Administration. See the Wisconsin State Accounting Manual, section 07‑09 for additional guidance.

Departments wishing to make a trade in against a purchase must contact Purchasing Services.

Items not owned by the state or university that is abandoned on UW-Madison property may be disposed of by SWAP using normal surplus methods.

If a department does not have an internal policy on abandoned items, the department should attempt to contact the owner and, in most cases, the item(s) should be stored for a minimum of 30 days before proceeding with disposal.