Environmental and Health Issues
 Prevents Waste:
Reusing state property diverts usable items and materials from landfills and conserves natural resources.
See the Introduction for a complete description of this environmental issue.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
The State Administrative Manual, Section 3520 establishes the guidelines for an agency's disposition of State-owned surplus property (in Section 3520, see note on exceptions for the disposition of vehicles and mobile equipment). Prior to a State agency's disposal or transfer of any State-owned surplus property, the agency must obtain approval from the Surplus Property Section of the Interagency Services Division of the Department of General Services (DGS). The Surplus Property Reuse Program's staff of property reuse professionals will provide appropriate guidance as to which action is most beneficial to the state agency. Because the program provides the necessary warehouse space and expertise in making surplus property available to other state and local government agencies, non-profit organizations and the general public, virtually all of this property is reused. Items that are of no further use are disposed of through contracts with recyclers.
To streamline the approval process, the DGS offers the California Surplus Property System, which is an Internet-based customer interface where State agencies can electronically complete and submit Property Survey Reports and Transfer of Location Reports for approval.
Visit the DGS' Web site for detailed information, including contact information, for the Surplus Property Reuse Program.
STATE AGENCY WASTE DIVERSION
California law [Chapter 764, Statutes of 1999 (Strom-Martin, AB 75)] requires each State agency and large State facility to divert 50 percent of their solid waste stream from landfills or transformation facilities through source reduction, recycling, and composting activities. State agencies can obtain source reduction credit for donating items through the Surplus Property Reuse Program.
STATE AGENCY BUY RECYCLED CAMPAIGN (SABRC)
Public Contract Code (PCC) section 12203 requires State agencies (including California State Universities) to ensure that at least 50 percent of the dollars spent on products within 11 product categories be spent on recycled-content products (RCP). In addition, PCC section 12211 requires RCP and non-RCP purchases to be reported in each agency's annual SABRC Procurement Report. Reused products are considered to be RCPs (see PCC section 12200); therefore, items purchased through the Surplus Property Reuse Program can be counted as RCPs under the SABRC. [1]
[1] California Integrated Waste Management Board. State Agency Buy Recycled Campaign Training Manual for Fiscal Year 2003-2004, page 4. Available at http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Publications/default.asp?pubid=848. Accessed on December 29, 2005.
Special Note: Portions of the Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Best Practices Manual were borrowed or adapted from the Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Guide published by the Solid Waste Management Coordinating Board of Minnesota.
|
