ALRM Overhead Google Image
Ag Land and Resource Management (ALRM) provides construction, earth preparation, irrigation systems, AG building repair, roads, and ponds in support of the College of Agriculture (COAG) and the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station (AAES). In the fall of 2018, ALRM was directed to begin the process of moving to north Auburn to make way for the new East Alabama Medical Center Complex. Over the years, a large compilation of excess construction material and equipment from past projects had built up on the nine-acre property.
Robert Hensarling, ALRM Director, chose to try to recycle and repurpose as much of these supplies and equipment as possible rather than have it buried in a landfill. Through this effort, almost all of the excess was either recycled or repurposed. What follows is a list of the people and organizations that supported the recycling and repurposing effort.
Bill Capps at AU Surplus Property is an invaluable resource for repurposing excess property at Auburn University. They conducted over 60 individual auctions through GovDeals.com. These micro-auctions ranged from an Alumcraft Boat that sold for $255 to a lot of Cattle Gates that sold for $620 to a parts room cleanout that sold for $933.23. Most of the micro-auctions not only kept the excess out of the landfill, but the work to pick up and clean out the location was accomplished by the purchaser.
Pallets of blocks and bricks for donation
Bill also authorized donations to Chewacla State Park and Lakepoint State Park, as well as the Alabama Highway Patrol. The donations included pallets of concrete pavers, blocks, landscape supplies, and items like an ice maker. ADECA – Alabama Surplus Property collected numerous vehicles and construction equipment, which they provided to other state agencies or sold through public auctions.
The Auburn University Library and Kreher Preserve/Nature Center also participated in the effort. Jennifer Lolley arranged to have workers collect pallets of excess building supplies to support the construction of their learning center. Tommy Brown at the AU Library Special Collections & Archives helped identify several historically significant items for the library archives. Finally, university vendors recycled several dumpsters of scrap metal and old tires.
ALRM’s recycling and repurposing effort resulted in:
1) micro-auctions making thousands of dollars for the COAG,
2) saving thousand dollars in landfill tipping fees for the COAG,
3) keeping hundreds of yards of excess out of the landfill.
If anyone has questions about how to get started, Bill Capps is a good place to start.
Figure 1. Google (n.d.). [Google Maps Imagery AG Land and Resource Mgt, 925 Camp Auburn Rd, Auburn, AL]. Retrieved August 8, 2019, from https://www.google.com/maps/@32.5841315,-85.5020707,334m/data=!3m1!1e3
Contributed by Robert Griffith, Ag Land & Resource Management, College of Agriculture
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