Author: Cindy Pindral

Office Supply Swap Pilot Program

The “Office Supply Swap” pilot program, organized by Michigan Tech’s Office of Sustainability and Resilience, will be held from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm on Monday June 19, 2023 in Memorial Union Building (MUB) Ballroom B. All items will be available at no charge. The Swap is open to current MTU faculty and staff — individuals will be asked to present their Tech ID at the door for verification. 

Leading up to the swap, donations of gently-used office supplies will be accepted on Thursday, June 15 and we encourage all MTU academic, athletic, and auxiliary units to participate. We will be accepting a wide range of common office supplies, such as paper goods, writing utensils, filing supplies, mailing supplies, and office organization items. We will also be collecting CDs, VHS tapes, DVDs, etc. for recycling through a third party vendor. A complete list of items is below. 

How It Works:

  • If you intend to donate, please complete this Google Form with your unit/department’s intention to participate.
  • Clean house! Gather items that are eligible for donation
  • Neatly box or bag the items
  • Donate in the method you indicate on the form: loading dock or bring to MUB Ballroom B
  • (Optional) shop the swap on Monday, June 19 from 10-2pm

Why participate? The intention of the Office Supply Swap is to allow for the exchange of common office supplies that already exist on campus to minimize the need for purchasing new items and to alleviate departmental clutter. Additionally, we seek to provide an avenue for recycling office items by diverting them from the landfill.

For any and all questions, comments, or concerns — email sustainability@mtu.edu 

Acceptable Items:

  • Paper Goods:
    • Notebooks, planners, notepads, and journals
    • Loose-leaf paper, printer paper, graph paper, construction paper, cardstock
    • Poster boards, display boards
    • Sticky notes, sticky flags
  • Writing Utensils
    • Pens, pencils, pencil lead refills, colored pencils, calligraphy pens
    • Markers, highlighters, White-Out, erasers
  • Filing Supplies
    • Binders, folders, dividers, hanging folders, document protectors, tabs
    • Portable filing organizers
  • Mailing Supplies
    • Envelopes, interdepartmental mail envelopes, letter openers
    • Labels and label makers
  • Office Organization & Decor
    • Paper clips, binder clips, push pins (boxed), pencil pouches
    • Desktop organizers, pencil cups, paper weights, bookends
    • Tape, rubber bands, staplers, hole punches, scissors
    • Dry-erase boards (clean), cork boards (good shape)
    • Command strips & hooks/clips, small decor items
  • Miscellaneous
    • Transparencies
    • Rulers, protractors, compasses
    • Clipboards
    • Briefcases, shoulder bags, backpacks (no rips or stains)
    • CDs, VHSs, CD-ROMs, DVDs

Unacceptable Items (non-exhaustive list):

  • Printer ink cartridges
  • Laboratory supplies 
  • Laptops, computers, monitors, speakers, calculators
  • Michigan Tech-licensed property
  • Headphones
  • Overhead projectors
  • Cords and chargers
  • Box cutters
  • Paint
  • Furniture (desks, chairs, standing file cabinets)
  • Clothing
  • Textbooks, books
  • Batteries 

Upcoming Event – From Soil to Stars: Finding Nature in the Archive

From Soil to Stars: Finding Nature in the Archive
A Virtual Reading & Conversation Presented by Augsburg University
Monday, April 3 from 5:30-7:00pm
G002 Hesterberg Hall, U.J. Noblet Forestry Building

What are the politics of nature?
Who owns it, where is it, and what role does it play in our lives?

Join MTU’s Office of the Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion and MTU’s Office of Sustainability and Resilience as we attend the virtual discussion of “A Darker Wilderness: Black Nature Writing from Soil to Stars,” a collection of lyrical essays in conversation with archival objects of Black history and memory. This collection of lyrical essays explores stories spanning hundreds of years and thousands of miles, traveling from roots to space-finding rich Blackness everywhere. Presented by Augsburg University as part of Earth Month 2023 at Michigan Tech.