Declaring and Sending Surplus

When property is no longer needed, departments declare it as surplus. Property Disposition will dispose of the property based on a determination of its highest and best use, then return 90% of any proceeds to the department.

    Sending Surplus to Property Disposition

    To declare surplus, download a Declaration of Surplus Form (DOS) and review the Directions for completing a Declaration of Surplus Form. (See section below is disposing of desk phones for units other than Michigan Medicine.) A complete and signed DOS is required by U-M for departments declaring items as surplus, whether sending items to the Property Disposition warehouse or using another disposal method. Please type the information using the Excel DOS form.

    Email your signed DOS form to Property Disposition (property.disposition@umich.edu) to schedule a delivery date. Property Disposition will put in a work order on your behalf and send the movers on the given date to pick up your surplus items. If your department wishes to bring the items, you will still need to schedule a delivery date first.

    NOTE: Hospital buildings including University Hospital, CW Mott, Taubman Center, Med Inn, Towsley, Cancer Center (floors B2, B1, 1 and parts of 2), Medical Professional Building and Cardiovascular Center should make arrangements with Hospital Maintenance (936-5054) and also email the signed DOS form to property.disposition@umich.edu.

    Disposing of Desk Phones during Telephone Upgrade Project

    During ITS's Telephone Service Upgrade Project, beginning in June 2022, units on the Ann Arbor, Flint, and Dearborn campuses (excluding Michigan Medicine) may dispose of obsolete desk phones using a simplified procedure.

    To declare surplus desk phones, download a special Declaration of Surplus Form and review the directions in the first tab of the form. Complete and sign the form and email it to Property Disposition (property.disposition@umich.edu). Property Disposition will reply with a signed Authorization to Scrap form, and you may then recycle the phones.

    Please visit ITS's page about recycling phones to learn about options for recycling phones as e-waste.

    Computer and Digital Media Preparation

    To ensure compliance with The University of Michigan Board of Regents bylaws 14.07 Privacy and Access to Information, all university-owned digital media devices must be sanitized or physically destroyed before disposal or transfer to another university department.*

    Property Disposition provides both data sanitization and data destruction services for a fee. Follow these procedures to request data sanitization or destruction services when declaring surplus.

    1. On the DOS form, list each item to be sent to Property Disposition
    2. For each item, select one of the following from the drop-down menu in the HD/Storage column:
      • For media devices to be sanitized, select “Please sanitize”
      • For media devices to be destroyed, select “Please destroy” 
    3. Property Disposition will sanitize or destroy the device, create and retain a Certificate of Destruction, and charge the department shortcode for services completed

    Property Disposition charges $4 per device to sanitize, and $1 per device to destroy.

    Note: Physical destruction should only be used if hard drives are inoperable, or when data tapes cannot be overwritten.

    All data storage media is audited at the Property Disposition warehouse to ensure compliance with this policy. If violations are discovered, Property Disposition will sanitize or destroy the device and will charge the department.

    Additional policy on this matter can be found in the Standard Practice Guide 520.01 Section IV, Item D.

    *Individual units may have stronger requirements. Please consult with your IT department.

    Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) Regulations

    Before completing a DOS form, please read the following State and Federal EHS information. Contact EHS directly with any further questions at (734) 647-1143.

    • All laboratory equipment must be decontaminated before transport for disposal. The laboratory owning or using the equipment is responsible for decontamination. Certification of decontamination must be done using the EHS Laboratory Equipment Decontamination Form. This form should be attached to the equipment. (Complete form and click "Print" - do not submit through web.)
    • All radiation generating/containing devices must first be surveyed and decommissioned by EHS prior to shipping the item to Property Disposition. See more information regarding radiation device disposal. These devices include:
      • X-Ray units
      • Spectrophotometers
      • Electron microscopes
      • Gas chromatographs with Ni-63 electron capture detectors
      • Liquid scintillation counters
      • Gamma counters
      • Static discharge devices and air ionization devices
      • Certain self-luminous “EXIT” signs
      • Smoke detectors
      • Survey meters
    • If disposing or selling a Class 3B or Class 4 laser, EHS must be contacted to decommission the device. See more information regarding laser disposal.
    • The Proper Biological Safety Cabinet (BSC) Decommissioning policy describes the Decommissioning of Class II Biological Safety Cabinets (BSC).
    • Property Disposition does NOT accept the following, contact EHS directly:
      • Fume hoods
      • Used glassware
      • Chemicals
      • Open paint
      • Motor oil
      • Asbestos-containing materials (ceiling tiles, floor tiles, lab ovens, etc.)
      • Mercury-containing materials (such as thermometers)
      • Fluorescent light bulbs
      • Batteries
      • Transformers