GCSurplus: A second life for thousands of items

How can you help protect the planet? By giving a second life to items and goods that have been declared surplus by various government departments and agencies.

More than 50 years ago, recycling was common in large families. Shoes and clothes in good condition were often passed on to the younger members of the household. GCSurplus, a Government of Canada program, has been doing something similar for the last 80 years!

Giving a second life to objects and material goods is one of the best ways to recycle, to participate in the international collective environmental movement and to reduce consumerism.

GCSurplus increases the life cycle of surplus and forfeited goods for the benefit of the environment, Canadians and our communities.

Did you know that, every day, GCSurplus helps reduce Canada's carbon footprint? It extends the life cycle of surplus government assets through recycling, transfers to other departments and agencies, sales to the general public and donations to eligible organizations through GCDonate.

GCSurplus also has a variety of recycling programs that keep batteries, scrap metal and some electronic waste out of the country's landfills. In batteries alone, GCSurplus recycles to 60,000 kilograms last year!

New items are added regularly to the website, such as jewelry, collectibles, appliances or even large quantities of materials (metal, wood, textiles). The variety of items can be surprising.

By buying on GCSurplus, you can help protect the environment in a significant way. A simple click can save some 35,000 items from the landfill every year.

“Over the past year, we’ve completed 24,000 sales, made 100 transfers and donated over 8,500 items. The GCSurplus website received more than 3 million visits, an increase over the previous year,” says Chantal Akeson, Manager of the Business Management Division for GCSurplus.

Click, bid, pick up

Shopping on GCSurplus is quick and easy. Simply register, browse new and used items at great prices and bid on the items you want, all from the comfort of your home.

With 9 sale centres across Canada, picking up your purchase is easy. And if you can’t make it in person, don’t worry: shipping options are offered for some items, so you can access them no matter where you are.

Contribute to greening government operations by giving items a second life. Great surprises are waiting for you. You'll see GCSurplus is more than warehouses and a website.